In numbers: Domestic violence in Georgia

More than a thousand people are victims of domestic violence in Georgia, with latest statistics showing the majority of cases are fuelled by alcohol and jealousy.

Figures released today by the country’s Interior Ministry saw about 2,000 people involved in domestic violence cases from 2007 to 2014.

The Ministry said acts of domestic violence against women and men were unacceptable. In a move to curb domestic violence in Georgia, all police officers were now undergoing special training to combat and respond to instances of domestic violence.

The Ministry created a special group who are tasked to monitor each case of family violence. It would also analyze how the state reacted to each case and decide whether this was sufficient and appropriate or not.

"In this direction, much work is being done with help of non-governmental and international organisations,” the Ministry said.

Police officers were being given special training to cope with instances of domestic violence.

Additionally, public discussions surrounding the issue had been organised for different regions across the country, the Ministry said.

"We realise the efforts of state agencies cannot solve this very sensitive and complicated problem so it is critically important to have support from the civil sector,” read the Ministry’s written statement.

Meanwhile, psychological, and physical abuse were the main forms of violence in Georgia however sexual abuse was also recorded.

Most of the cases involved males as the main perpetrator. In the past seven years the Interior Ministry recorded about 1,000 cases of violence against women.

On the other hand, women also committed violence and in the same reporting period, there were about 100 cases of female violence against men.

Psychological (55 percent) and physical (36 percent) violence were the dominant kinds of domestic violence however sexual and economical violence cases were also reported.

The Ministry said the main reasons of domestic conflict were frequent alcohol consumption, jealousy and property related disputes.

The highest number of cases per capita were recorded in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi.

After growing numbers of domestic violence cases in Georgia, the terms domestic violence and prosecution for domestic violence were inserted into the Georgian Criminal Code in 2012.

In the past year, the Interior Ministry started criminal prosecution against 310 people for committing domestic violence.

The Ministry urged every citizen of Georgia to call the police if they witnessed domestic violence or call the Ministry’s hotline if they believed police did not react appropriately to the situation.

The Ministry’s hotline is 126.