From 2021 through the first half of 2026, a total of 18409 cases of violence were reported to the police, according to data presented today to the Parliament’s Human Rights Committee by Police Chief Themistos Arnaoutis. According to the same data, during the same period, 3,674 arrests were made, 2,858 court orders were issued to exclude perpetrators, as well as 373 court orders to protect victims.

The data were presented as part of the discussion on the implementation of the Istanbul Convention and the relevant legislation under the title “The Law of 2021 on the Prevention and Combating of Violence against Women and Domestic Violence and Related Matters,” in response to recent incidents of femicide.

Here’s what reporter Eleni Michael reported on the Alpha News program:

For his part, Minister of Justice Konstantinos Fytiris emphasized the need for a swift response from the relevant authorities from the very moment a complaint is received. He referred to an incident that was brought to his attention via a message this morning. As he said, “This morning I received a message from an unknown woman on Messenger, who told me that she was in danger from her ex-husband because they had separated, he is threatening her, and I immediately forwarded it to the relevant police department,” he said.

As he explained, the focus of our efforts will be on how the initial report is handled and on the immediate mobilization of a dedicated response team. “We will focus on who receives the initial report, who passes it on, and how this task force—which must be permanent—will be activated,” he noted.

He added that the goal is a rapid response so that “any adverse situation or danger can be assessed and prevented,” describing the issue as “extremely important.”

Regarding the issue of police officers’ possession of firearms, Mr. Fytiris noted that the Ministry’s intention, in cooperation with the police, is to amend the provisions of the law to require psychometric testing. “Our intention is to implement these as soon as possible because we consider the issue to be very serious,” and proper preventive measures must be in place, he noted.

The Minister also stated that Cyprus already has a high-level legislative framework, noting, however, that certain amendments are required based on GREVIO’s observations. At the same time, he said that the Ministry, in cooperation with the Police and other relevant agencies, will focus on responding “as quickly as possible” with properly trained personnel. He also emphasized that another key issue is keeping the public informed.

Christos Christofides, Chair of the Human Rights Committee, emphasized the need for immediate changes:

It should be noted that the Committee will meet again in late August or early September to reassess the situation and the actions being taken on this issue.