The Women’s Shelter has seen a significant rise in residents, to where there have only been more staying there once before.
In all, 118 women and 60 children stayed at the Women’s Shelter in the previous year, and about 500 sought councilling. Only once in the shelter’s 27-year history have there been more residents, Vísir reports.
According to a statement from the shelter, the number of women seeking help from the shelter saw a significant increase after the economic collapse. Women of foreign origin comprised 37% of residents in the year previous, but had comprised about half of the shelter’s residents in years previous.
Furthermore, about 40% of the women who stayed at the shelter went back to the same situation they left. 80% reported emotional abuse, and 55% reported physical abuse as well. 30% said their lives had been threatened. 20% had physical signs of abuse upon arrival at the shelter.
It had been reported in 2008 that the economic collapse would most likely lead to an increase of cases in domestic violence. The phenomenon is known the world over, as the stress of a harsher economic climate is trying on families.