Kumçiftliği records highest rate of domestic violence incidents in 2025
Kumçiftliği (Orestiada) ranks first in the Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Region for the number of domestic violence incidents reported in 2025, according to data released by the General Regional Police Directorate of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (GEPAD AMTH).
The report, covering the period January to September for both 2024 and 2025, was presented during the event “Together We Break the Silence: 13 Cities, One Front Against Domestic Violence”, held on Friday, October 31, in Dedeğaç. The event was organized by the Ministry of Citizen Protection under the auspices of President of the Hellenic Republic Konstantinos Tasoulas.
According to the data, there was an 8% increase in recorded domestic violence incidents across the region in 2025, along with a notable rise in calls to the police emergency line “100.”
Kumçiftliği and Rhodope Prefecture recorded the highest per capita rates of domestic violence, with Kumçiftliği reporting 22 incidents per 10,000 residents, matching Kavala, followed by İskeçe (21), Dedeağaç (19), Drama (17), and Gümülcine (14).
In total, 709 incidents were handled by police services in 2025, up from 657 in 2024—an 8% increase. The most significant rise was observed in Rhodope, with cases increasing by 60%. Police made 519 arrests, maintaining the same arrest rate (73%) as the previous year.
The Directorate also highlighted enhanced operational capacity and faster response times, achieved through the training of 1,308 police officers in areas such as victim protection, human rights, communication skills, and inter-agency cooperation.
Between June 2024 and September 2025, police implemented a range of victim protection measures, including:
Shelter provided for 44 women in safe houses
408 women escorted to hospitals or forensic doctors
166 cases of special protective measures
The report also included data from the “Panic Button” mobile application, launched nationwide on June 10, 2024, to assist adult victims of domestic violence. So far, 315 users have installed the app—285 women and 30 men—and it has been activated 24 times, including 14 times in 2025.
The data were presented by Lieutenant Maria Tarasiadou, Head of the Domestic Violence Department in İskeçe, who emphasized that the primary goal is to ensure victim safety and create a sense of trust and calm during police intervention. She noted that the department’s offices are designed as safe and child-friendly spaces, helping to prevent secondary victimization.
Tarasiadou stressed the importance of prevention and education, highlighting ongoing school outreach programs aimed at challenging gender stereotypes and breaking the cycle of violence.
“Our commitment is to reach even the most remote villages of Thrace to inform every woman and potential victim — because violence makes no distinctions,” she said.
Source: ertnews.gr – Orestiada
