Spike In Domestic Violence Cases Amid India Lockdown, Reports NCW

NEW DELHI: In a distressing trend amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the nationwide lockdown for 21 days, the National Commission for Women said it has received over 250 complaints, out of which 69 are cases of domestic violence.

NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma said that the rise is alarming. She said that since March 24, a total of 257 complaints related to various offenses against women were received, out of which 69 were of domestic violence. The state of UP has the highest number of complaints at 90, followed by New Delhi with 37.

Thirty domestic violence complaints were received between March 2 and March 8, while 58 such complaints were received between March 23 and 30, according to the data. From March 24 till April 1, the NCW has received 69 domestic violence complaints and it is increasing by the day, Sharma added.

Sharma said that the numbers could be higher but due to the fear of the abuser women are not coming forward.

"Women are not approaching the police because they think that if they take her husband away, the in-laws will torture her. Because of the lockdown, women are not able to reach out to the police. They don't even want to go to the police because they are afraid that once their husband comes out of the police station, he will again torture her and she can't even move out," she quoted saying to a news agency.

"Earlier women could go to their parents’ place but now they are unable to reach. The NCW is in touch with these complainants," Sharma added.

Activist Kavita Krishnan, also the secretary of All India Progressive Women's Association, said vulnerable women could have moved to safer places if the government had given some warning of the lockdown.

"All the women (domestic violence victims) who contacted me said had they known (about the lockdown), they would have tried to get out earlier and be somewhere safer," she told the news agency.

"The only thing to do is help and rescue domestic violence survivors. Their situation is worse now in the lockdown," Krishnan added.

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