COVID-19 - Rise in Domestic Abuse
Family Law
The COVID-19 lockdown around the world has caused many issues ranging from healthcare, financial, physical, social etc. On one hand we have families spending more time at home due to the lockdown, coupled with absence of family planning services and limited supply of contraceptives if expected to shatter the country’s goal of population control. It is estimated that there’ll be an 80% spike in childbirths due to the COVID lockdown. On the other hand, we also see a steady rise in family disputes and divorce cases rising. Even though lockdowns and quarantines are a welcome step to curb the spread of the virus, it turned out to be a living nightmare for one section of the society, the domestic violence/abuse victims.
To say that there’s been a spike in domestic violence during the period of lockdown would be an understatement. Between 23 March and 16 April 2020 - the first three weeks of the lockdown - the National Commission of Women(NCW) received 239 complaints of domestic violence. This was a significant jump from the 123 complaints it received in the month leading up to the lockdown. And as a matter of fact, women and children have always been subjected to such inhuman brutality and end up being victimized the most. Cruelty by Husband or His Relatives, accounted for 32% - nearly a third - of all crimes against women registered by the police in 2018.
In India the NCW which gets complaints of domestic violence from across the country has been receiving double the number of cases it usually receives and its increasing with each passing day. The child abuse helpline has received more than 92,000 calls asking for protection of children from abuse and violence during the lockdown period. It is pertinent to note that these are just the reported cases, in most situations, domestic violence goes unreported and unnoticed since women and children are reluctant to come out fearing further repercussions and threat to their lives. As per the government figures in 90 per cent of rape cases, the perpetrators are known to the victims, hence dissuading the victims to report fearing backlash.
A huge percentage of these cases are from northern India, especially the rural areas and poor people, most of whom are confined to small isolated homes with their abusive oppressors with not much room for privacy or to maintain any sort of distance. In such marginalized families, men are frustrated with their loss of jobs and have to stay at home with an uncertain future, women bear the brunt of this frustration in the form of abuse. According to women’s right activists, these cases are only set to rise once the lockdown restrictions are lifted, since many women are not able to reach out to the police.
Cases of domestic abuse are on a rise worldwide and not just in India. Many countries are dealing with an array of marital disputes and abuse. Various Government and Non- Government Organizations are coming forward to help such victims. For instance, France has promised to pay for hotel rooms for victims of domestic violence and set up counselling centers in grocery stores. The French government also plans on giving 1 million euros to help organizations fight domestic violence.
Originally posted on www.kpalegal.com on 18th Aug. 2018
About the Creator
Abha Kashyap
Founder & Managing Partner of Kashyap Partners and Associates Abha Kashyap has a wealth of experience in the arena of medical law - both as an attorney and as a former manager of a medical clinic.
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