This year, Crete’s seen a sharp increase in domestic violence reports. It’s hard not to notice the troubling trend.
More people are finding the courage to speak up, but it’s still just the tip of the iceberg. Are we really doing enough to help?
Local organizations say they’re overwhelmed. The numbers keep climbing, and resources feel stretched thin.
Communities across Crete are starting to pay more attention. Still, there’s a long way to go before everyone feels safe at home.
Christina Gramandani Discusses the Rise and Profile of Domestic Violence Cases
Christina Gramandani, who heads the programme tackling domestic violence in Rethymno, has noticed a sharp jump in reports over the past few years.
The data points to more people reaching out for support, especially in the last two years. You can sense a shift—folks seem more willing to step forward and talk about what’s happening.
The local Mental Health Centre, working alongside the Rethymno Prosecutor’s Office, tracked referrals for victim support. They saw cases rise from 99 in 2024 to 55 in just the first months of 2025.
Zooming out, police records on Crete show 498 incidents reported in the first five months of 2025. That’s up from 353 in the same stretch of 2023.
Gramandani points out that this isn’t just about numbers—it’s a stubborn social issue, even with all the awareness campaigns out there. More victims are speaking up now, breaking the silence that used to keep abuse hidden.
Society seems more alert, maybe even a bit more supportive, nudging victims to seek help. It’s not perfect, but it’s something.
Authorities have rolled out new support tools, trying to meet people where they are. Since June 2024, the Domestic Violence Office at Rethymno’s Police Department has become a go-to spot for reporting cases.
There’s also the panic button app, which lets victims reach authorities right away if they’re in danger. It’s simple tech, but it can make a massive difference in a crisis.
The Mental Health Centre in Rethymno runs a special therapeutic programme for offenders. It’s aimed at adults—both men and women—who’ve shown violent behaviour against family and have been referred for help.
This programme tries to get at the root causes of violence, not just slap a band-aid on the problem. They’re hoping treatment can actually change things for the better.
Ms. Gramandani mentions in detail: “The most important findings from this first cycle of eight meetings can be summarized as follows: Domestic violence is not a random event, but a dynamic and often recurring situation in which the event is usually downplayed not only by the victim, but also by the perpetrator (e.g., ”I haven’t hit her yet”).
The individual characteristics of the perpetrators (gender, educational/social level, economic status, relationship to the victim) were quite similar. They also “shared” everyday situations that triggered their anger (e.g., “but I was right,” “she lied to me,” “she started with her voice”).
They also often seemed to undermine the therapeutic purpose of the meetings by oversimplifying things, such as “So I shouldn’t get angry again?” – “OK, OK, I understand, from now on I’ll do that …”.
One of the main motives for them not to “reoffend” is the legal and criminal threat of punishment, rather than a fundamental change in their perception of violence, power, and control.
In addition, there was often a belief that they themselves were victims, that their partners had “exaggerated” the facts, fueled by the omnipresent atmosphere in the media surrounding incidents of domestic violence.
It is also interesting that they apparently did not consider it sufficient reason that their partner was “afraid and therefore overwhelmed” (“they just pick up the phone and call the police”) when they themselves did not use (so far) any form of physical violence against them.
Finally, they described an overreaction by the police and the public prosecutor’s office in dealing with such incidents “because of all those who actually abused their partners.”
For more details on what’s happening in Crete, check out the report on the increase in domestic violence reports.
