Number of calls at domestic violence hotline increases by almost 200%

The number of calls the national hotline received in January-March 2016 increased by almost 200% compared to 2015. The victims from the families of displaced persons and demobilized soldiers have started to call more often. The residents of the occupied territories have started to call after the line was launched round-the-clock.

Olena Kryvuliak, director of the national hotlines department at the La Strada Ukraine international human rights centre, said this to Human Rights Information Centre.

“We received about 15 calls per day in 2015. We expect significant growth in 2016. The national hotline started to work around the clock, and we received a record number of phone calls in the first three months,” Olena Kryvuliak said.

9,135 complaints were received last year. More than half of them related to protection against domestic violence (54.4%). There is a growing number of calls from women living in the families of servicemen or those who have seen the war with their own eyes.

“We received 7,910 calls over the first three months in 2016. 94.3% of them were warnings of domestic violence,” Olena Kryvuliak revealed the numbers.

The victims were mainly in need of relief from physical and psychological violence.

“The acutest time is night time and weekends. The emergency situations requiring immediate intervention happen often. The women often say that a husband will come soon and start to beat…” the expert said.

Olena Kryvuliak notes that the hotline consultants often provide psychological assistance, as well as primary legal counsel for divorce, division of property and the like.

A significant percentage (39.1%) of phone calls is also giving legal advice to the internally displaced persons, in particular, as for getting humanitarian aid.

The calls have been most often received from Kharkiv and Kyiv regions. The expert also noted a significant number of repeated calls.

As a reminder, 0800500335 is a number of Ukrainian national hotline for the prevention of domestic violence, human trafficking and gender discrimination.