Northern Cyprus has seen a rapid rise in cases of violence against women, particularly cases involving serious bodily harm.
According to Turkish Cypriot media, in the last nine months, 697 women reported being the victims of violence, of which 258 suffered serious bodily harm, Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen reported, citing figures obtained by the north Nicosia police headquarters.
In July, 96 women reported that violence had been exerted upon them by their husband or partner, it said.
According to the paper, the majority of calls made to the relevant helpline and to police were from women residing in Nicosia.
The issue of violence against women in the north is a persisting matter, as in November last year Yeni Duzen reported that between January 2017 and October 2018, cases of violence against women reached 608.
During this period, eight women lost their lives, 486 women filed complaints, and 32 contacted helplines requesting psychological support and legal assistance.
