Nearly 15,000 Cases of Spousal Abuse Reported in the First Half of This Year

The head of Iran's Social Emergency Services announced that in the first half of this year, 14,599 cases of spousal abuse have been reported to this center. Reza Jafari stated on Sunday, March 6, in an interview with ILNA news agency that if necessary, social emergency forces, along with law enforcement and with a judicial order, will visit the reported cases. He also mentioned that if 'victims' introduce themselves, they will be transferred to 'rehabilitation' centers. Mr. Jafari did not provide further details regarding the reported spousal abuse cases to this center. Hossein Asadbeigi, the former head of the Social Emergency Services, previously stated that last year, 13,408 cases of spousal abuse were reported to this center. He noted that among 5,471 reported cases of spousal abuse via phone, there were 2,471 cases of physical abuse, 142 cases of sexual abuse, 1,138 cases of psychological and emotional abuse, 1,515 cases of negligence, and 205 cases were unspecified. However, reports indicate that only a portion of spousal abuse cases are reported to Iran's Social Emergency Services. Previously, the newspaper Shargh reported that according to the statistics from the Legal Medicine Organization, examinations for spousal abuse increased from over 52,000 cases in 2009 to over 77,000 cases in 2016. Additionally, according to the Tehran Legal Medicine report, an average of 52 cases of spousal abuse are reported to this organization daily. Meanwhile, Farid Barati, the Deputy for Social Harm Prevention at the Welfare Organization, stated that based on research conducted in Tehran province, where he claims women have better conditions compared to other parts of the country, one in three women is exposed to violence. In another statement, Maryam Rasoulian, the head of the Iranian Psychiatric Association, previously mentioned that nearly 20% of women experience physical violence during their lifetime, and about 60% experience emotional violence. According to this psychiatrist, behaviors such as sulking, swearing, neglecting personal requests like family communication, visiting a doctor, and pursuing education are examples of emotional spousal abuse. Earlier, in December 2014, Mohammad Ali Esfahani, the spokesperson for the Legal and Judicial Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, stated that only 'less than 35%' of domestic violence cases in Iran are reported to the police. Officials in Hassan Rouhani's government have promised that a bill to prohibit violence against women will soon be presented to the parliament. However, some conservative figures and those close to the Supreme Leader have opposed this bill. For instance, Zahra Ayatollahi, the head of the Cultural and Social Council of Women, in a note published in Kayhan newspaper, described the bill as 'a copy of the UN documents and Western laws' and stated that 'this bill is prepared in compliance with paragraph 2 of goal 5 of the 2030 agenda.' The UNESCO educational document for 2030 emphasizes issues such as ensuring equal and inclusive education, environmental protection, gender equality, equal social opportunities for women and men, human rights, eliminating discrimination against minorities, and promoting a culture of peace and non-violence.