Shafaq News- Kirkuk

Iraqi authorities arrested nine people accused of domestic violence in Kirkuk province, including one person with special needs, a police official told Shafaq News on Thursday.

Police Spokesperson Amer Al-Shawani said that patrol units from the Emergency Police Department responded to reports received through the 911 hotline, managing to contain one domestic violence case, while the Family and Child Protection Department followed up on the cases and initiated the necessary legal procedures.

In 2024, Iraq recorded 14,000 domestic violence cases, with 73% of victims female and 27% male, while Baghdad accounted for 31% of cases between 2019 and 2023, according to the Interior Ministry. Child abuse cases also increased, with parental abuse representing about 6% of reported domestic violence incidents, amid concerns that many cases remain unreported.

Read more: From love to bloodshed: Iraq’s family violence epidemic