Violence against women during the pandemic from the viewpoint of a tertiary forensic medicine clinic

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic and measures to combat the pandemic caused an increase in the risk of violence against women. In this study, it was aimed to examine the change in violence crimes against women evaluated in a tertiary forensic medicine clinic over a two-year period by focusing on periods of lockdown and domestic violence. Victims of violence against women who admitted to our center between 01/01/2020 and 12/31/2021 were included in the study. Patient files and forensic reports were used to acquire information regarding the age, date of the incident, relationship of the offender, type of incident, usage of weapons, injuries sustained, and if the incident was domestic violence. The ages of 121 cases evaluated ranged from 10 to 88 years, and the mean age was 36.1 (SD=17.6) years. When the mean number of incidents per day was examined, it was shown that cases of domestic violence were most common during the lockdown period. When all cases were considered together, it was shown that the highest mean number of cases occurred in the first days following the restrictions. Violence against women increased during the periods of the pandemic. In cases of domestic violence, as expected, the most significant rise occurred during lockdown periods. The 24-hour period following the lockdown application has been identified as the most intensive time of violence against women during the pandemic.