Domestic violence: where to turn for help in Kyiv

"One day my husband snapped and started waving his fists. Heavily. I didn't expect it, I was scared to go home and leave the children there; I wouldn't be able to protect them. I had to leave my house, and we started looking for shelter. It was a critical situation, stress, very depressed state: I felt useless to anyone, like dirt on the street," these words started the story of a woman, mother of four children, who became a victim of domestic violence by her husband.

In Ukraine, in the first 6 months of 2020, more than 96,000 complaints of domestic violence were registered. According to the Ministry of Social Policy, it's 66% more than in the first half of 2019. Meanwhile, 86% of the victims are women, and every second victim is a child. The Shadow Pandemic has really taken over the country, but behind the COVID-19 news, victims' voices haven't always been easily heard. But it's important not to be silent and search for support that is actually close.