The number of domestic violence cases in Portugal is on the rise, with the National Republican Guard (GNR) and the Public Security Police (PSP) recording 25,327 incidents in the first nine months of 2025, marking the highest figure in the last seven years.
On Thursday, the PSP shared some “general guidelines on dealing with domestic violence” via social media, outlining how to recognize signs and take action if you are a victim or witness.
According to the authorities, signs of domestic violence include “controlling behaviors,” “social isolation,” “threats, insults, and humiliation,” “physical assaults or forced sexual acts,” and “emotional manipulation or blackmail.”
Furthermore, “domestic violence can occur in different forms”: physical, psychological, emotional, sexual, or even economic.
In these situations, victims are advised to find a “safe place to go in case of an emergency, such as a friend’s house, a family member’s, or a shelter.”
They should also create a “safety plan,” keeping “important documents in a secure place, preferably outside the home,” and establishing an “emergency code with friends or family to signal that help is needed without alerting the abuser.”
“If you feel in danger or know someone who is, seek help as quickly as possible,” the PSP warned.
Police Record 25,327 Domestic Violence Cases, Highest in Seven Years
According to the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality (CIG) portal, the GNR and PSP reported 25,327 domestic violence incidents in the first nine months of this year, the highest in the past seven years as of September 30.
The number of homicides in the first nine months of 2025 remains the same as in 2024 and lower than, for instance, in 2022.
Lusa | 16:23 – 19/11/2025
