Newsroom
Cyprus recorded 17 femicides between 2020 and 2025, according to newly released figures from the police. Over the same six-year period, authorities recorded 16 specific cases of femicide, indicating that at least one incident involved multiple fatalities.
The geographical distribution of these crimes shows that Nicosia and Limassol each saw six fatalities. Paphos recorded four, while one occurred in Larnaca. So far in 2026, authorities have recorded two attempted femicides.
The systemic pressures of domestic abuse are further reflected in emergency housing statistics. In 2025 alone, safe houses across Nicosia, Limassol, and Paphos sheltered 300 women and 347 minor children, totaling 647 vulnerable individuals. These facilities are operated by the Association for the Prevention and Handling of Violence in the Family (SPAVO) through state funding provided by the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare.
Expanded legal tools and prevention infrastructure
To address gender-based crimes, Cyprus has increasingly shifted toward specialized state bodies and targeted legal remedies. Aristos Tsiartas, who heads the National Coordinating Body for the Prevention and Combating of Violence Against Women at the Ministry of Justice, outlined several state initiatives currently underway to establish systemic protections.
Formed in 2022 under the domestic violence statutes passed the previous year, the coordinating body focuses heavily on professional training and inter-agency coordination.
- Professional training: Roughly 200 first-line workers across education, healthcare, social work, and judicial fields have completed specialized courses. The state plans to expand this program shortly to train 100 police officers nationwide.
- Emergency digital access: The agency partnered with the police department to launch the ELPIS mobile app. The application gives individuals in volatile domestic environments a silent, immediate way to contact police during active emergencies.
- Central data collection: A unified national database is currently under development and is scheduled for completion in 2027. This archive will track domestic abuse and systematically catalog femicides, which are now designated as a distinct criminal offense under the legal framework implementing the Istanbul Convention.
Financial aid and specialized helpline access
State strategies have also expanded toward removing financial barriers for individuals leaving abusive environments. A legislative amendment implemented in 2024 officially established victims of domestic and gender-based violence as a distinct group eligible for entirely free legal aid.
This legal aid program provides state-funded representation for compensation claims, custody disputes, child support hearings, and the acquisition of protective restraining orders.
Furthermore, the agency is coordinating the rollout of the pan-European support hotline 116016. This initiative runs parallel to state funding provided to non-governmental organizations and continuous backing for SPAVO's existing 24-hour emergency helpline. The state intends to use future centralized data to identify early indicators of danger, isolate environmental risk factors, and build targeted prevention strategies.
