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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 6 May 2020
Russia: Domestic violence reports spike amid virus lockdown

By DARIA LITVINOVA The Kremlin imposed a na-
Associated Press tionwide lockdown in late
MOSCOW (AP) — Reported March. Almost immedi-
domestic violence cases in ately, women's rights advo-
Russia more than doubled cates sounded the alarm
during the country's coro- about a surge of domestic
navirus lockdown, the hu- violence cases, urging ac-
man rights ombudswoman tion to protect victims.
said Tuesday, painting a In a letter to the govern-
completely different pic- ment, nine non-govern-
ture than that provided by mental organizations asked
police data. officials to set up more shel-
Complaints and reports ters, instruct policemen
made to Russian non-gov- about the importance of
ernmental organizations responding to domestic
spiked from roughly 6,000 in violence calls and help vic-
March to more than 13,000 tims get medical, legal and
in April, Tatyana Moskalko- psychological help.
va said. "The picture is rath- Nothing has been done so
er non-optimistic," the RIA far, said Olga Gnezdilova,
Novosti news agency quot- lawyer with the Russian Jus-
ed her as saying. tice Initiative, one of the
Her statement comes a groups that signed the let-
week after Russian police In this file photo taken on Monday, Nov. 25, 2019, people hold banners against domestic violence ter. "In order to take addi-
said the number of domes- as they attend a rally in Moscow's downtown, Russia. Associated Press tional measures during the
tic crimes fell by 13% during crisis and the lockdown, we
the lockdown, compared vated existing tensions or erage in the same period The French government need changes in the law
to the same month last triggered new ones. Wom- in previous years. France's introduced a text messag- and political will," Gnez-
year — a report dismissed en and children are usually National Federation of ing number and a Twitter dilova told The Associated
by some women's rights the victims. Women Solidarity said the account victims can reach Press.
campaigners as inaccu- In Spain, calls to a domestic hotline they run has re- out to in addition to the Domestic violence has
rate, as many victims don't violence helpline increased ceived double to triple the usual police number. More- been rampant in Russia for
report domestic abuse to by 60% in April compared usual daily number of calls over, authorities tasked years, and so far little politi-
the police. with the same month last since France imposed a pharmacies and a number cal will has been shown to
Growing numbers of do- year, the Equality Ministry lockdown on March 17. In of chain supermarkets to tackle the issue. Despite
mestic abuse complaints said Tuesday. The number Greece, where the lock- arrange points of contact the fact that, according to
have been reported all of calls was up 38% from down started March 23, a for domestic abuse victims. police data, up to 40% of all
across Europe after govern- March, when in the middle government helpline re- Britain pledged 76 million violent crimes are commit-
ments instituted lockdowns of the month the govern- ceived nearly four times as pounds ($95 million) to help ted within families, in 2017
and ordered residents to ment ordered a lockdown. many complaints in April as vulnerable children and Russian President Vladimir
stay at home, as the frustra- Lawmakers in the UK found in March. victims of domestic vio- Putin downgraded simple
tions of enforced isolation, that calls to a national In many countries, govern- lence. assault against a family
often fueled by increased domestic abuse helpline ment officials are taking Russia, meanwhile, is not member from a criminal of-
use of alcohol and dire jumped by 49% in early steps to address the prob- doing enough, rights fense to a misdemeanor,
economic straits, aggra- April compared to the av- lem. groups argue. punishable by a $76 fine. q

French commander: Extremists

in Africa try to exploit virus

By CARLEY PETESCH anything and everyone and Chad. Health au-
Associated Press is very focused on the thorities have confirmed
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Is- way the mission goes," more than 120 COVID-19
lamic extremists in West Af- he said, adding that they deaths in the countries
rica's Sahel region are try- have learned to adapt where Barkhane is active,
ing to exploit COVID-19 to accordingly. "Much has with more than 2,100 con-
gain followers but haven't been done to implement firmed cases.
had much success, ac- individual and collective Experts have said that lim-
cording to the command- measures to ensure that ited testing capacity in
er of the French military's this constraint is as minimal remote and volatile parts
Operation Barkhane there. as possible." of Africa means health In this May 19, 2017 file photo, a French soldier stands inside a
The coronavirus has had He attributed the very few authorities aren't able to military helicopter during a visit by French President Emmanuel
little impact on counterter- cases among French sol- track the virus well. Macron to the troops of Operation Barkhane.
rorism operations by the diers to constant vigilance As for the extremists, Facon Associated Press
more than 5,000 French and a wide distribution said "they exploited it as the Islamic State in the tial, that the blows to the
soldiers in the arid region in the field that minimizes propaganda by saying it Greater Sahara, though enemy command system
just below the vast Sahara the risk of large-scale virus was punishment." he wouldn't give specific are severe blows, and that
desert, Gen. Pascal Facon transmission. He said Barkhane has re- details. these capabilities are con-
told reporters Tuesday. But cases are rising in corded substantial prog- "What I can simply tell you siderably diminished," he
COVID-19 "doesn't change Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, ress in the fight against is that attrition is substan- said.q