Shocking Statistics on Domestic Violence in Russia; 'Three Women Are Killed Every Day'

"Russia witnesses a domestic violence incident every 10 minutes, and on average, at least three women are killed each day, often at the hands of family members." These results come from a new report by the 'No to Violence' research institute, which compiled data from the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, United Nations statistics, independent non-profit organizations, judicial reports, and official surveys. The report indicates that women, as wives, are the primary victims of domestic violence in Russia, but other female relatives and children, regardless of gender, are also at risk, with the least harm inflicted on men as husbands. The main findings of the new report include: 21 to 24 percent of all murders with known perpetrators occur within families. Last year, at least 1,200 women were killed by their husbands or relatives, and in the first six months of this year, 650 cases of women killed by family members were recorded. About one-fourth of all assault cases in Russia are related to domestic violence: approximately 3,750 cases in 2023 and about 1,900 cases in the first half of this year. Around 11 percent of adults who have been victims of violence report experiencing sexual assault within the family. According to human rights advocates, official statistics only represent the tip of the iceberg, and in some cases, the figures announced by the government are likely much lower than reality. The report shows that in various years and regions of the country, between 19 to 40 percent of participants in official surveys reported witnessing domestic violence. Analysis from the 'No to Violence' research institute indicates that since domestic violence was removed from the list of criminal offenses seven years ago, spousal and child abuse by family men has been steadily increasing. These incidents peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic, saw a slight decrease in the first year of the war in Ukraine, and have grown again since then. This year, in addition to increases in physical and sexual violence, cases of psychological and economic pressure on women within families have risen by 80 to 200 percent compared to the years before the war. According to the report, at least half of the women who were beaten or subjected to other forms of violence by their husbands or male relatives have children under 18. In half of the families where women have been victims of violence, children and adolescents under 18 have been victims of violence at least once, and many live under constant psychological pressure and threats of assault. This data comes as the analysis from the 'No to Violence' research institute shows that societal and official pressures on women and children to conceal domestic violence have increased significantly. Mari Dautian, a lawyer and director of the 'Center for the Defense of Victims of Domestic Violence,' who participated in the report's preparation, states that the Ministry of Internal Affairs only counts murders where the perpetrator is known; therefore, many murders, including those occurring within families, do not appear in official statistics. Additionally, murders committed by former spouses or boyfriends are not counted as domestic violence statistics. For the past two years, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs has not published crime statistics, and recently the government has allowed courts not to disclose reports of reviewed cases. However, some data has been obtained through leaked information resulting from hacking attacks or 'accidentally' disclosed. For example, the publication 'Vedomosti,' which continuously reports on domestic violence in Russia, discovered last spring that an article published in the Ministry of Internal Affairs' specialized magazine, circulated among the agency's employees, indicated that approximately 310,000 cases of domestic violence were recorded by the Russian police in 2021 and 2022, with 90 percent of these cases resulting in fines. According to this report, the average fine is 5,500 rubles (approximately 55 USD). Recently, journalists from 'Vedomosti' identified 5,000 cases related to domestic violence by analyzing over 30,000 court rulings issued in Russia and the annexed Crimea in the first half of this year. According to this report, in 83 percent of cases, so-called 'honor' reasons were the main cause of violence by the family man against his wife, and in 84 percent of cases, the man was intoxicated. In another report published simultaneously by the 'Consortium of Non-Profit Women's Organizations in Russia,' it was stated that in various years, between 53 to 66 percent of murdered women in Russia were killed by family members. The 'Consortium of Non-Profit Women's Organizations in Russia' believes that the lack of legal tools to combat harassment in the workplace and within families has put Russian women at risk, placing Russia alongside countries like Iran, Yemen, Liberia, and Gabon in this regard. The Russian parliament, which passes hundreds of laws unanimously each year, has been reviewing the 'Prevention of Domestic Violence in Russia' bill for the past five years, and over 10,000 amendments have been made to it. Recently, the head of the Duma Committee for Family Defense announced that passing such a law is 'inconsistent with the government's efforts to promote family values and especially this year, which has been declared the Year of the Family by Vladimir Putin, is unlikely.' Meanwhile, some surveys indicate that over 75 percent of Russian citizens consider domestic violence unacceptable and support the passage of a law against domestic violence and criminal penalties for perpetrators of violence against women in families.