CANBERRA, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Almost one in 10 Australian women in a relationship have experienced domestic violence during the COVID-19 lockdown.
According to a survey published by the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) on Monday, in the three months prior to the survey conducted in May 2020, 4.6 percent of women who responded to the survey experienced physical or sexual violence from a current or former cohabiting partner, while 5.8 percent of women experienced coercive control and 11.6 percent reported experiencing at least one form of emotionally abusive, harassing or controlling behaviour.
It found that for about 33 percent of those women it was the first time that they have experienced domestic violence in their relationship.
More than half of respondents who had experienced physical or sexual violence before the COVID-19 lockdown said it had become more severe or frequent during the pandemic.
About one third of women who experienced domestic violence said they wanted to seek advice on at least one occasion but could not because of safety reasons.
In response to the survey, the federal government has announced a 3 million Australian dollar (2.1 million U.S. dollar) package to provide more counselling and support services for victims of domestic violence.
"Sadly we know that times of crisis can increase the incidence of family, domestic and sexual violence which is why our government has increased by nearly 50 percent annual funding in the wake of COVID-19," Anne Ruston, minister for Families and Social Services, said in a media release on Monday.
"No matter the crisis, there's still no place for domestic violence or abuse. Our priority is ensuring that when people who are experiencing family and domestic violence reach out for support, they are able to access it as quickly as possible."
