The Lai Yuen Centre of the Women’s General Association of Macau (commonly known as Fu Luen) said in a statement yesterday there was a year-on-year increase in the number of domestic abuse cases reported to the association in the second quarter due to more people staying at home for extended periods of time during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The centre released the statistic during its 15th anniversary briefing presentation at the Fu Luen Building in Rua do Campo.
According to the statement, 84 cases of domestic violence were reported to the association during the second quarter. The statement pointed out that due to the novel coronavirus epidemic, couples tend to spend more time together at home and in some cases this has resulted in conflict.
The statement noted that the centre provides temporary shelter for people who feel it is unsafe to stay with their families. With the increase in the number of people moving into the temporary shelter, the centre is planning to move to a bigger building, according to the statement.
The statement underlined that only 22 percent of the domestic abuse cases that were reported to the association had sought help from the police.
The centre said in the statement that harsher punishment for domestic violence was needed to alert people about its seriousness. The centre also suggested ways to lower the number of domestic abuse cases, such as increasing the general public’s awareness of the issue while parents should take turns to look after their children and attend marriage counselling.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, please call the centre’s hotline 2832 6632 for help.
