The Constitution and laws of Republic of Cyprus guarantee the right of every citizen to
physical integrity, freedom of thought and expression, equality and respect. The Law on
Domestic Violence 119 (I) / 2000 prohibits the practice of violence between members of the
same family, and in particular between a husband and wife, former or current spouses,
cohabitants.
According to police statistics, based on reports of victims of domestic violence to police
stations, most cases of domestic violence occur between spouses or cohabitants (former and
current). The victims are, in the overwhelming majority, women, and the perpetrators are men.
According to the Domestic Violence Act, “violence”, for the purposes of the Law, means any
act, omission or conduct that inflicts physical, sexual or mental harm to any family member
from another family member, and includes violence carried out to achieve sexual contact
without consent
An act or conduct that constitutes violence committed in the presence of a minor family
member is considered to be violence against that minor if it can harm his psyche. This act or
conduct is a crime. The implementation of coercion by a spouse over another spouse in the
presence of a minor child is considered a law as a double crime, since a minor child may suffer
mental harm.
Violence between members of one family is considered a serious crime and is punished with
more severe punishments than violence among non-relatives.
The court may, at the time of, or after considering a case of violence related to the minor
victim, dispose of the victim in a safe place for any period of time that he deems necessary, or
hand over to the Director of the Social Security Service of the Ministry of Labor and Social
Security.
In addition, the Court may issue a decree against a person accused of any violent crime that
will operate for a period and under certain conditions, with the prohibition of entering or
residing in a family home. This order can be issued if the accused has a history of repeated
acts of violence against members of his family, or in the past two years, the Court has issued
two convictions for such crimes, or this violence caused physical, sexual or mental harm that
endangered life , the physical integrity or sexual or mental health of the victims, or if the
accused refuses to undergo self-control treatment that is imposed, or otherwise. Such a decree
is called an “exclusion order”.
The accused, or any person on his behalf, or in itself, worries or threatens the victim of
violence or witnesses in the violence case, or their relatives, anywhere, in such a way that
influences or may influence the investigation or trial in in any case of violence, or causes a
mental violation to a victim of violence or witnesses in a case of violence, with the knowledge
that it is a victim of violence or a witness in a case of violence, commits a crime punishable
by up to three years’ imprisonment or a fine, their punishments, and, in the event that concerns
or threats are made against the victim living in social homes, shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term of up to five years or a fine, or both types of punishment apply.
It is emphasized that when a crime is declared under the Domestic Violence Act, the name
and address of the victim of violence or the applicant, as well as the person against whom a
complaint is lodged and other data that may lead to his identification, can not be disclosed or
published by any the media or otherwise.
In addition, anyone who does not report violence against a minor or a person with serious
mental or psychological disabilities known to him commits a crime and, if convicted, is liable
to imprisonment for up to two years or to a fine or to the application of both types of
punishment .
In the event of violence, it is important to contact the police as soon as possible in order to
provide protection and facilitate the work of the police in the investigation. The police can be
contacted later, but in such cases the investigation becomes de facto more complicated.
The Association for the Prevention and Combating of Domestic Violence is the National
Center for the Prevention, Support and Protection of Violence against Persons Suffering from
Domestic Violence and for the support and guidance for perpetrators of violence. The
telephone number of the help line 1440 is free, works 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. The
call center is staffed by psychologists and social workers. This phone can provide counseling
support on domestic violence related to the applicant or other persons about other services
related to domestic violence and information on basic rights and
The Association for the Prevention and Combating of Domestic Violence is the National
Center for the Prevention, Support and Protection of Violence against Persons Suffering from
Domestic Violence and for the support and guidance for perpetrators of violence. The
telephone number of the help line 1440 is free, works 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. The
call center is staffed by psychologists and social workers. This phone can provide counseling
support on issues of domestic violence related to the applicant or other persons, information
on other services related to domestic violence, and information on basic rights and choices of
people to better address their problems.
The European telephone line 116,000 is addressed to parents, children and the general public,
to provide a secure network for those who travel throughout Europe. It does not replace the
Police. Nevertheless, it assists when people are in a foreign country, they do not speak the
language, they do not know the phones of local authorities, and they do not know what to do.
The service will help to contact the police and any other organization, if necessary.
The European line of support for children and adolescents 116111 is aimed exclusively at
children and adolescents under the age of 18. This line is free and gives young people the
opportunity to talk about any subject anonymously. The work of the line is based on the
principles of confidentiality. This line operates from Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 20:00,
on Saturday from 09:30 to 14:00.
The single European emergency number is 112.