Australia on Sunday announced a nearly USD 100 million boost in funding to tackle domestic violence after support services reported a spike in coronavirus-related family abuse.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said there had been a 75 per cent surge in Google searches for help during the ongoing nationwide shutdown of non-essential services to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Women's Safety, a domestic violence charity in Australia's most populous New South Wales state, has reported that more than 40 per cent of workers had seen an increase in client numbers, with over a third of cases directly linked to the virus outbreak.
In neighbouring Victoria, women's support service Wayss said police requests for assistance with cases had almost doubled in the past week, as they dealt with a form of abuse "not experienced before".
"Just having the people in the house, rather than having the pressure release of going to work, or being able to travel freely outside of the house are contributing factors," Wayss CEO Liz Thomas told public broadcaster ABC.
"We've also seen half a dozen examples in the past week where perpetrators have actually used COVID-19 as a form of abuse -- telling their partner that they have the virus, therefore they can't leave the house."
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