Nicosia, Cyprus. Domestic and gender-based violence cases increased in 2025, with incidents becoming more complex and severe, the Association for the Prevention and Handling of Violence in the Family (Spavo) said on Monday. The organisation said violence had intensified in 51 per cent of cases in recent months.
Annual report findings
Presenting the organisation’s annual report, Spavo board president Maria Chaviara Kousiou expressed concern over the escalation of violence in many of the cases handled by the association. She said the findings underlined the need for timely intervention and effective support for victims.
Types of abuse recorded
According to figures presented at the meeting, psychological abuse was recorded in all cases handled by the organisation. Physical violence was present in 63 per cent of cases, economic abuse in 23 per cent, spiritual abuse and stalking in 13 per cent, sexual violence in eight per cent and online abuse in seven per cent.
Spavo said different forms of abuse often coexist and are invariably accompanied by psychological violence.
Case numbers and victim demographics
The organisation’s counselling service handled 81 new cases in 2025, with women accounting for 98.8 per cent of victims and men 1.2 per cent. The largest proportion of victims were aged between 35 and 45 years old, at 43.2 per cent, followed by those aged 45 to 60 at 24.7 per cent and 25 to 35 at 23.5 per cent.
Meanwhile, the Women’s House recorded 374 cases during the year, including 153 new cases.
Services and helpline
Spavo currently operates 17 services and programmes, while 5,728 calls were received through the national 1440 helpline in 2025.
Statement from Spavo
“Our work is not measured only by statistics,” Kousiou said.
“It is measured in the women who were protected, the children who felt safe again, the families that regained hope and the people who found the strength to move forward.”
