Luz Nagle discusses how Covid-19 has led to increase in domestic abuse and need for government action
By Jennifer Venis
International Bar Association
May 26, 2020
Excerpt
Domestic abuse has increased exponentially since lockdowns were introduced to combat Covid-19, with some countries reporting a 25-50 per cent increase. These statistics look set to worsen – at the end of April, the United Nations Population Fund predicted at least 15 million more cases of domestic violence globally in 2020 as a result of pandemic restrictions…
Charlotte Gunka and Luz Nagle, Chair and former Co-Chair of the IBA Crimes Against Women Subcommittee respectively, say governments must find a way to reach out to people whose access to help might be blocked…
Nagle, who is also Professor of Law at Stetson University College of Law in Florida, says ‘extra funding for shelters and charities is not enough. On the contrary, it is giving a false sense of the government doing “something.” Funding shelters alone fails to address the root of the problem. Funding must go hand in hand with implicit bias training for law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges’ to ensure victims can access justice.’
This article was originally published on the International Bar Association website on May 26, 2020, with the headline, “Covid-19: increase in domestic abuse requires swift government action.”
Post date: May 26, 2020
Media contact: Kate Bradshaw
[email protected] | 727-430-1580