Domestic violence is a serious social phenomenon that knows no professional boundaries, the Cyprus Police Association (SAK) says. In a statement, it stresses that every complaint must be investigated seriously and every victim protected, regardless of the status of the person accused.
The association notes, however, that this “does not justify the collective targeting of police officers or the cultivation of the impression that domestic violence is primarily their professional problem”.
Referring to a recent publication that cites 1,334 cases for 2022–2026 but focuses particularly on 15 complaints against police officers for 2024–2026, SAK asks whether highlighting this particular profession serves objective reporting or creates unjustifiably negative impressions about an entire professional sector.
On the possibility of periodic psychometric examinations, including individual visits to psychologists, for police members, the association says the discussion must be comprehensive, evidence-based and free of selective sensitivities.
It also asks whether a similar need should be considered for other professional groups, depending on the nature of their duties and responsibilities. “Prevention cannot be based on communications pressure or isolated incidents, but on objective criteria and equal treatment,” it says.
SAK stresses that responsibility is individual, not collective, and that justice must be served without exceptions, but also without prejudice. “Police officers cannot become an easy target every time a reprehensible incident involves one of their members,” it says.
In conclusion, the association calls on the competent authorities to provide details of the professions of all those involved in the other 1,319 cases, and not only those of police officers.
Source: CNA
