DFWAC helps196 victims of domestic violence in first half of 2016
(MENAFN- Emirates News Agency (WAM))
DUBAI, 1st August, 2016 (WAM) -- The Dubai Foundation for Women and Children, DFWAC, has helped around 196 victims of domestic violence during the first half of this year, according to the foundation's Director-General, Afra Al Basti.
Al Basti pointed out that the number of domestic violence cases has slightly dropped in the first half of this year compared to the same period of 2015, when DFWAC received 231 cases.
"Among the cases that we received during the current year, we provided sheltering services for eight of them after studying their situation, while the other external cases received care and rehabilitation services without the need for being sheltered," Al Basti said.
Al Basti explained that DFWAC received 48 cases of domestic violence involving UAE nationals, 145 involving various other nationalities, while the nationalities involved in three other cases could not be identified.
She added that most victims had suffered from more than one type of abuse, including verbal and emotional, neglect, as well as financial, physical, or sexual abuse.
The Director-General of DFWAC pointed out that the number of cases who were subjected to violence by a husband came on top of list with 162 cases, in addition to 14 cases of abuse perpetrated by a father, 8 cases by an ex-husband, 5 cases by a brother, and 4 by a mother, while in the rest of the cases victims were abused by other relatives or their employers.
Al Basti said that the majority of domestic violence cases are reported to DFWAC directly either through its 800111 helpline, via the foundation's e-mail , or sending an SMS to 5111. The rest of the cases are referred to the foundation by other parties including the police, courts, embassies, schools, relatives and friends.
She added that the foundation has launched the "Cases Empowerment" initiative to re-integrate victims of violence into the community again by rehabilitating them to enable their entry to the jobs market and find suitable work that provides them with a steady income to fulfill their subsistence needs and achieve financial stability.
She also noted that all the services provided by the foundation for victims of violence are free of charge and include shelter, health and social services, education, as well as legal and psychological support.
Al Basti went on to say that the UAE is one of the countries with the lowest rates of violence against women, thanks to the support given to women by the leadership.
WAM/Rasha/Moran