Male’, Maldives – The third quarterly statistics report by the Family Protection Authority (FPA) has revealed that the number of domestic violence reports has increased during the third quarter of 2020.
According to the report, the number of domestic violence cases reported to the Authority during the third quarter of 2020 was 179, in which 242 victims were identified. This is an increase in comparison to the first and second quarters of the year, where the first quarter of 2020 recorded 158 cases and 190 victims. The second quarter showed a decrease in comparison to the first quarter, with 111 cases and 151 victims. This amounts to 448 cases and 538 victims.
Among the victims during the third quarter are 182 females and 80 males, while 147 females and 32 males, along with 11 individuals of which gender was not revealed was reported to the Authority during the first quarter. The second quarter recorded 107 female victims and 38 male victims, while the gender of 6 victims were not identified.
Among the victims were 150 adults and 92 children, during the third quarter, while the number was at 126 adults and 64 minors during the first quarter. The second quarter recorded 92 adults and 56 minors as victims of domestic violence.
The details of the report showed that no direct complaints were filed with the authority during the second two quarters, although two reports were made during the first quarter. However, Maldives Police Service and the Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services Authority have reported the most number of cases to FPA, which account for 151 cases during the first quarter, 109 during the second quarter, and 180 cases during the third quarter. While health care service centers have also reported cases to the Authority, the report highlighted that in some cases, more than one report was made by multiple authorities regarding the same case.
During all three quarters, the highest number of cases were reported from the capital of Maldives, Male’, which is significantly much more populous in comparison with the rest of the country. Regardless, the numbers were at 116 in Male’ during the first quarter, fell to 67 during the second quarter and then soared up to 126 during the third quarter. Addu City recorded the second most highest cases during the third quarter, which is at 16.
Looking at the cases reported from Addu City, a total of eight cases were reported from Police stations within the city, while 8 cases were also reported from the Family and Children Services Center in Addu. As such, 16 unique cases were reported from the city.
The main forms of domestic violence reported in all three reports are verbal or emotional and psychological abuse, physical abuse, intimidation, sexual abuse, as well as damage to property, harassment, stalking, and making a child witness any form of domestic violence.
It was also highlighted in the report that the most of the cases reported were among relatives of family members, as well as between spouses and divorcees. As such, a total of 206 cases were among the latter, while 154 cases were reported regarding domestic violence among family and relatives. A significant number of cases, accounting for 94 cases were also reported regarding cases of domestic violence against children, in which the parents or guardians have abused the children.
The third quarterly report highlighted 220 perpetrators of domestic violence, out of which 182 were male, while 37 were female, while the gender of one individual was not identified.
