In Berlin, the Corona Pandemic and the lockdown have led to a significant increase in domestic violence and child abuse. In the first quarter of 2020, for example, the number of court-ordered allocations of a shared home to one of the partners after domestic violence rose by 23 per cent compared to the same period of the previous year, and the number of investigation proceedings initiated in April even rose by 50 per cent compared to the same month of the previous year (2019: 1,089; 2020: 1,566). Asked about the reasons for this, the head of the Berlin Outpatient Clinic for the Protection against Violence ("Gewaltschutzambulanz") mentioned "fear at the beginning of the pandemic" as well as financial worries, short-time work and unemployment, but also alcohol and drug consumption and living together closely. "We usually have peaks after public holidays. Now people often squat close together for weeks.", she explained (see taz press article dated 2 July 2020 in German).
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