The latest figures from the Domestic Violence Portal, released this week by the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality (CIG), indicate a concerning rise in domestic homicides at the beginning of this year. Six women and one man have died in domestic-related incidents, three more than the last quarter of the previous year.
In the previous year, 22 individuals were killed by family members, partners, or ex-partners, many occurring after requests for help were made.
Between January and March this year, the PSP and GNR recorded 7,056 complaints, two more than in the previous quarter. The CIG notes that the situation could be graver, as recent cases may not have been accounted for yet.
From 2018 to 2025, the number of reports has remained relatively stable, but there is a noticeable increase in the use of panic buttons, arrests, and the number of aggressors enrolled in rehabilitation programs.
In the early months of this year, 5,858 victims were equipped with panic buttons, a system enabling them to alert authorities if faced with imminent danger.
The first quarter of this year saw the highest number of beneficiaries of the teleassistance system, with 5,675 victims enrolled by the end of 2024.
Examining the data from the past eight years, the summer holiday period consistently sees a spike in complaints.
During July to September, there is always a peak exceeding eight thousand reports: in the third quarter of last year, authorities received 8,415 complaints, while the previous year reported 8,443.
Despite the thousands of complaints, only 1,385 individuals were incarcerated in Portuguese prisons in the first quarter, with three-quarters serving effective prison sentences and the remaining 359 in pre-trial detention.
There is an upward trend in domestic violence-related incarcerations: at the beginning of 2019, there were 898 imprisoned.
As of this year’s outset, 1,289 aggressors were subject to coercive measures, ranging from bail to house arrest, restraining orders, or mandatory rehab programs.
Electronic bracelets are increasingly used, their application tripling since 2019, now imposed on 965 individuals. Additionally, 324 other cases involved coercive measures without electronic monitoring.
This year has also seen 2,909 people enrolled in rehabilitation programs, marking a consistent increase since 2022.
Out of nearly three thousand participants, only 212 were incarcerated.
The number of victims sheltered by the National Support Network for Victims of Domestic Violence slightly dropped from 1,420 at the end of last year to 1,412 at the beginning of this year.
Women continue to predominantly utilize these shelters (741), though many children also require refuge, living in safe houses or emergency accommodation. At the start of the year, shelters housed 649 children (20 fewer than at the end of 2024) and 22 men.
This year has also seen 44 additional provisional suspensions of cases under the supervision of the Directorate-General for Reintegration and Prison Services, totaling 1,903 in the first quarter.
