Taiwan recorded a 3.5 percent increase in cases of intimate partner violence last year, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said, adding that the number of victims of violence in same-sex relationships also rose 21 percent from 2020.
Of the 149,198 domestic abuse cases reported last year, 70,328 involved married couples, former spouses and cohabiting partners, up from 67,957 in 2020, the ministry said.
On average, intimate partner violence occurred about every 7.5 minutes last year, it said.
The number of domestic violence victims rose 1.7 percent to 53,408 people last year, the ministry said.
Among the victims, 1,038 reported violence in same-sex relationships, up 21.1 percent from 2020, it said.
An analysis of violence in same-sex relationships showed that 63.4 percent of the victims reported being abused by cohabiting partners, while 2.6 percent reported violence from spouses, the ministry said.
Meanwhile, 53.5 percent of victims reported being physically abused by their same-sex partners, while 45.3 percent said they suffered psychological abuse, it said.
Domestic violence victims in same-sex relationships are often under tremendous pressure when they seek help for fear that they might receive additional censure from society, Department of Protective Services Deputy Director Kuo Tsai-jung (郭彩榕) said on Tuesday last week.
“Following the legalization of same-sex marriage, society has generally been more accepting of same-sex couples,” she said.
“We should look at the increase in domestic violence cases in same-sex relationships in a positive light, as victims are now less afraid to speak up,” she added.
Kuo encouraged all victims of domestic violence to call the police as soon as possible, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation.
Children witnessing domestic violence are more likely to develop physical, psychological and behavioral issues, and even become abusers themselves, Kuo said, adding that people should call the “113” hotline if they know of children at risk of domestic violence.
Taiwan on May 17, 2019, became the first Asian nation to legalize same-sex marriage after the Legislative Yuan passed The Act for Implementation of Judicial Yuan Interpretation No. 748 (司法院釋字第七四八號解釋施行法).
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