Μake us preferred on Google Greece’s Minister of Citizen Protection, Michalis Chrisochoidis, admitted this week that incidents of domestic violence had increased dramatically, with police making around 100 arrests every night following complaints.
“Violence has increased significantly,” Chrisochoidis said in an interview with SKAI on Tuesday, adding that between 30% and 45% of those arrested are repeat offenders, people struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, individuals accused of violent behavior, or people with psychiatric conditions.
“Every single night there are 100 arrests resulting from complaints. Last year, the figure stood at 35,000,” the minister said, adding that nearly half of the cases, approximately 14,000 to 15,000, ultimately reach the courts.
“Of these arrests, some are released subject to restrictive conditions, some are in pre-trial detention, and others have been convicted,” he said.
The minister also urged anyone experiencing domestic violence, including women, children and older people, to seek help from the police.
His comments come amid growing concern over an alarming rise in violence against women in Greece. According to reports, 11 women have been killed in the country so far this year with the number of domestic violence complaints made to Greek police up by more than 300% since 2020. Greek authorities have expanded specialized police units dealing with domestic violence and introduced a panic-button application designed to help women alert the police.
