Domestic violence in Iraq surges to 36K+ in 2025

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq recorded 36,289 reported cases of domestic violence in 2025, an increase of 22,000 cases from the previous year, the Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights revealed on Wednesday, warning that the true scale of abuse is likely higher.

In a report, the Observatory noted that the figures reflect only cases formally registered with police and courts, while many victims remain silent. The largest share involved husbands assaulting wives, with 19,587 cases, followed by 5,918 cases of wives assaulting husbands. Authorities also recorded 3,112 incidents of sons assaulting parents and 531 involving daughters, along with 1,583 cases of brothers assaulting sisters and 725 of sisters assaulting brothers. Violence against children included 1,282 cases involving fathers and 559 involving mothers, in addition to 2,992 other forms of domestic abuse.

Compared with 2024 data from the Ministry of Interior, which registered 14,000 lawsuits, the 2025 total represents an increase of more than 150% within a year. Shams Al-Lajmawi, assistant head of the Observatory, indicated that many victims avoid filing complaints because of fear of “homelessness” or social stigma, stressing that the published figures reflect only part of the problem.

The limited number of government shelters, the report warned, weakens existing legal protections. Experts cited in the study noted that children raised in violent households face a higher risk of repeating abusive behavior, while victims often confront stigma, economic dependence, and a lack of safe housing, leading in some cases to forced reconciliations under family or tribal pressure.

The Observatory further raised concern over Article 41 of Iraq’s Penal Code, which permits a “right to discipline” and is sometimes used to justify violence in the absence of a dedicated domestic violence law, while calling on lawmakers to adopt comprehensive legislation, amend the Penal Code, expand shelters nationwide, and strengthen public awareness efforts to protect families and uphold individual dignity.

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