In one out of three cases, elderly people are victims of domestic violence

The rate of domestic violence dropped sharply in 2022, likely due to the start of the full-scale invasion, with only 1,500 cases filed under Article 126-1, “Domestic Violence,” for the entire year. Since then, the number of cases has steadily increased, reaching 2,700 this year—5% more than last year. The number of reported incidents is now 17% higher than in 2021.

Notably, the resolution rate for such cases remains relatively high: 85% of cases opened this year have already resulted in charges, and 80% have been referred to court.

According to Aliona Kryvulyak, Director of the Department of National Hotlines and Social Assistance at La Strada-Ukraine, the most common causes of domestic violence include increased aggression among Ukrainians due to the war, excessive alcohol consumption, and deteriorating financial conditions.

In 2024, the highest number of reports was recorded in January, with 435 criminal cases opened. In comparison, the monthly average was 250 cases. Aliona Kryvulyak notes that the winter holiday period is a peak time for domestic violence reports, with alcohol being the most frequent triggering factor. Such spikes are typically observed in families where violence is a recurring issue.

It cannot be said that alcohol is the root cause of domestic violence. However, there is a significant issue: Ukrainians are often not taught how to relieve stress in safe ways, and many turn to various substances for stress relief. Human aggression can reach serious levels even without altered states of consciousness, but under the influence of alcohol or drugs, it becomes significantly more threatening.

Given past trends, this problem, unfortunately, is unlikely to disappear. It is highly likely that, on the night of December 31 to January 1, around 1:00 a.m. or 1:30 a.m., we will already start receiving reports of domestic violence incidents.

76% of all domestic violence victims this year were women. However, since the start of the full-scale war, there has been an increase in cases where men seek help. Before the war, 80% of reports came from women and 20% from men.

Among men, elderly individuals are the most likely to report domestic violence, often inflicted by their adult children and grandchildren, primarily due to financial motives.

Overall, the level of domestic violence against elderly Ukrainians has been gradually increasing since 2021. In the first nine months of this year alone, 9.8 thousand calls were made to the hotline by people aged 60 and older. Every third report of domestic violence now comes from senior citizens. This already exceeds the total number of calls in 2021, which amounted to 9.3 thousand.