Free legal aid for victims of gender and domestic violence is a necessity

Statement by AKEL MP Giorgos Koukoumas after the meeting of the Parliamentary Human Rights and Equal Opportunities for Men and Women Committee

4 April 2022

On the initiative of AKEL, the matter was registered today for an ex officio examination in the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights and Equal Opportunities under the title: “The need to provide free legal aid to victims of gender and domestic violence”.

In order to break the vicious circle of gender and domestic violence, every victim needs to know that from the moment they file a complaint they will have real legal support at every possible level. It is the responsibility of the state to ensure this by modernising the legal aid framework in order to encourage and support victims of gender-based violence, but also victims of domestic violence, to free themselves from an environment of violence and abuse.