KUALA LUMPUR, April 3 — Husbands were the victims in about a quarter of domestic violence cases reported in 2015, a minister said today.
“In 2015 alone, 5,100 cases of domestic violence complaints were received, 26 percent of them involving husbands,” Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Karim told reporters during a press conference at the Parliament media area today.
Rohani was speaking shortly after tabling the Domestic Violence (Amendment) Act 2017 today, which seeks to widen the definition of domestic violence and to offer greater protection to victims.
The amendment expands the definition of domestic violence to include electronic threats and misappropriation of property.
It also provides for an Emergency Protection Order (EPO), which allows a social welfare officer to issue a protection order for a victim within two hours of application, and without requiring a police report to be lodged.
“This is because sometimes an offence takes place during a weekend. And the courts are not open during the weekend,” Rohani said.
“This way, victims can get a protection order that lasts a week in such situations,” she added.
