Gov’t sees no need to review domestic violence law amid spike in cases

The government has reaffirmed its commitment to the existing domestic violence law, even as reported cases continue to rise.

In the first half of this year, authorities recorded 29 suspected incidents of domestic violence, including cases involving spouses and children.

This increase comes despite an overall downward trend in reported cases since the law’s implementation eight years ago.

The Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) has noted that while there has been a general decline in domestic violence reports since the law was enacted, the recent spike in incidents is concerning.

IAS indicated 29 cases were documented in six months—an increase of 11 cases compared to the same period last year.

Despite this uptick, IAS maintains domestic violence rates are decreasing overall.

Lei Lai Peng, head of IAS’s Department of Family and Community Services, said many abusers struggle with emotional management issues.

She announced ongoing educational outreach efforts to address these challenges.

“Over the years, we have seen from the analysis of domestic violence cases that many abusers likely have emotional management problems and agree to use violence. For this reason, we have been doing educational outreach in different aspects,” she said during a press conference launching a new prevention campaign.

“Over the past three years, there has been a downward trend in the number of abusers who view violence as a solution. More and more residents are realizing domestic violence should not be used to solve family problems,” Lei added.

However, only 8% of reported domestic violence cases have resulted in formal accusations, with many being downgraded to lesser offenses.

This situation has led some lawmakers to call for legislative changes.

Despite these calls, IAS insists the current law is effective and does not require amendments.

The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has previously raised concerns about the law’s exclusion of same-sex couples and its inadequate enforcement.

In 2023, the Committee reviewed the city’s third regular report on related issues.

In its concluding observations, the CESCR noted, “The Committee is concerned that the law on preventing and combating domestic violence does not cover same-sex couples, and about reports of its insufficient implementation in the context of a relatively high report rate with conversely proportionate low investigation and low prosecution rate.” Nadia Shaw