Sharp rise in domestic violence cases in Iraq: over 53,000 reported in three years

Shafaq News/ Iraq has seen a disturbing increase in domestic violence cases, with 53,889 incidents recorded over the past three years, an Iraqi lawmaker affirmed on Saturday.

The head of the Strategic Human Rights Center, Fadel Al-Ghraoui, reported that, based on statistics from the Supreme Judicial Council, "there were 13,857 cases in the first half of 2024, 18,436 cases in 2023, and 21,595 cases in 2022."

"Husband-to-wife abuse accounted for 75% of the cases, abuse against husbands was 17%, parental abuse of children was 6%, and elder abuse was 2%." He attributed the rise in domestic violence to factors including lack of marital education, economic and family problems, weak religious commitment, misuse of social media, increased marital infidelity, and rising drug abuse rates.

In 2024, physical violence was the most prevalent form of domestic abuse, followed by sexual and verbal abuse, with Baghdad reporting the highest incidence at 31% and Saladin governorate the lowest at 5% in the first half of the year.

In this context, Al-Ghraoui called on the government, religious and educational institutions, social actors, and civil society organizations to launch awareness campaigns to reduce the risks of domestic violence on families and society, urging the parliament and government to expedite the enactment of a domestic violence law.

In Iraq, domestic violence remains a pressing issue despite constitutional guarantees of equality and protection. The Iraqi Ministry of Interior reported 15,000 domestic violence cases in 2020, a slight decrease from the 17,000 cases documented in 2017, which included 9,000 instances of husbands assaulting their wives. In 2022, the Supreme Judicial Council of Iraq reviewed 21,595 domestic violence cases, excluding those from the Kurdistan Region.

The severity of the issue is underscored by reports to the European Union Agency for Asylum, indicating that approximately 1,000 women are killed annually in Iraq due to domestic violence.

A 2024 UN report, "Accountability for Domestic Violence in Iraq: Promoting Justice and Non-Discrimination," highlighted significant legal challenges. Although Iraq's Constitution prohibits all forms of violence and guarantees equality before the law, legal provisions complicate the fight against domestic abuse. Article 41(1) of the Iraqi Penal Code permits violence under the guise of "disciplining a wife," and Article 409 reduces sentences for "honor killings" to a maximum of three years, effectively treating such acts as misdemeanors. This provision also covers the killing of women, including those not legally married, if caught in flagrante delicto.