Digital violence against women increases during COVID-19

The ‘We Will Stop Femicide Platform’ (KCDP) and the Women's Assemblies said that the number of women who applied for support denouncing the violence they were exposed to, has increased in April.

The ‘We Will Stop Femicide Platform’ (KCDP) and the Women's Assemblies issued their April 2020 Application Report.

The report stated that the number of women who applied for support denouncing the violence they were exposed to has increased in April. Applications were made mostly from Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Mersin, Adana, Antalya and Kocaeli.

The report underlined the following information:

"1. Applications were made by women from 28 different provinces.

2- In April, the rate of those calling the application line increased by 55 percent.

3 - The application made by those who witnessed violence against women increased by 60 percent.

4- Most applications were denouncing physical violence.

5 - Applications received due to digital violence increased."

The report added that "41 percent of the women who applied in April denounced physical violence, 18 percent psychological violence, 12 percent economic violence or request for economic support, 11 percent digital violence, 4 percent sexual violence, 4 percent support for murder cases. In addition,10 percent applied for reasons other than violence. In the coronavirus days when communication continues mostly on the social media, digital violence has targeted especially young women."

Applications were as follows:

1- Women forced to postpone the beginning of a legal process due to coronavirus.

2- Women who wanted to leave their home to go to relatives outside the city could not do so because of the travel ban.

3- Women reported difficulties in reaching emergency support lines such as 155, 183.

4- Women are not informed about those who were charged with violence against women but were released from prison.

5- People sentenced for violence are not punished when they violated the order of not getting close to their victim.

6- Women who are subjected to violence are afraid to go to the police station, courthouse, hospital, shelter due to the coronavirus emergency.