30/09/2014 14:00
Number of domestic violence victims triples
The number of domestic violence victims has tripled in 2014 as compared to last year, Perchuhi Kazhoyan, member of Stop Violence against Women coalition, told reporters today.
According to her, last year 580 people were subjected to domestic violence (7 women died as a result), whereas in January-September 2014 the number of domestic violence victims reached 1,501 (9 woman died).
Kazhoyan said that although awareness about the issue has increased, these figures do not reflect the real picture as women often avoid applying to the police due to lack of trust, but more frequently they apply to NGOs.
Another member of the coalition, Nvard Margaryan, said that “we cannot prevent all the cases of domestic violence”, even though some controversial clauses were removed from the Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence.
The coalition member Arman Gharibyan told reporters that actions will be staged in various communities of Yerevan on October 1. A candle lighting ceremony is scheduled for 6 pm on the same day, while on October 2 they plan to gather outside the government to call for adoption of a law.