The "Elpis" application, which is designed specifically for victims of domestic violence, who are at increased risk of violence and need to contact the Police immediately without being noticed by the perpetrator, will be put into pilot operation in the coming days, said the Minister of Justice and Public Order Marios Hartsiotis.
In his announcement on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Mr. Hartsiotis expresses his full and undivided support to all women and girls who have suffered or are experiencing any form of violence, assuring that the protection and safeguarding of their human rights and dignity is the highest priority for the Cypriot Government and for him personally.
In his announcement on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Mr. Hartsiotis states that within the next few days the "ELPIS" application will also be put into pilot operation, which is designed specifically for victims of domestic violence, who are at increased risk of violence and need to contact the Police immediately without being noticed by the perpetrator".
It adds that "within the first half of 2025, the app will be fully operational and will serve victims of domestic violence, providing them with full safety and protection on a 24-hour basis."
Mr. Hartsiotis continues by saying that the Ministry, through the National Coordinating Body for Gender-Based Violence, promotes a series of actions to prevent, inform and raise awareness among professionals and civil society around the problem of gender-based violence."
It states that during this period it is implementing a broad awareness campaign, in collaboration with the Office of the Commissioner for Gender Equality under the slogan "Gender-based violence is hiding in front of us" with the aim of raising awareness around this serious problem and promoting the message that no form of gender-based violence violence should have no place and should not be tolerated in the modern world."
It also notes that the Ministry "financially supports and strengthens Non-Governmental Organizations and other bodies for the implementation of actions aimed at combating violence against women".
He adds that "at the same time, the Police continues, through the special units that operate in each province, to work systematically and coordinated to combat domestic violence and to effectively prosecute the perpetrators of violence."
The Minister, in closing, states that "efforts do not stop here and this is because the policies, practices and measures implemented should be under constant evaluation with the aim of further improvement and full harmonization with modern approaches and perceptions that have focus on victims of gender-based violence.
