Slovenia

Slovenia was already suffering from numerous difficulties in the health and economy sector when it was struck by the pandemic, which amplified the negative effects of the virus crisis. From 12 March 2020 until the end of May, and from October onwards, emergency measures were put into place to stop the spread of the corona virus. During the lockdown periods, the number of calls to police decreased as did the number of police interventions, DV emergency activities and restraining orders. This is demonstrated by various tables and graphs. During the confinement, DV in the category misdemeanours with signs of violence may have developed into more serious acts against women. DV crimes went up in number. The pandemic lockdowns had repercussions for individuals and families noticeable in the area of social services and economic support, family conflict outbreaks and neglect of children. Fear of infection and related concerns may have reduced victims’ willingness to access medical care and assistance when affected by acts of domestic violence. Survey data point at an increased DV level in the first phase of the spring lockdown which – given the decrease in police calls – may have been DV occurrence that was left in the dark field of crime. Media reporting about the risks of DV through confinement was intense and is demonstrated by a series of references. Policy measures to mitigate the impact of the virus crisis addressing, e.g. loss of employment, have been support packages for workers in the strained health system. This chapter closes with reports from various NGO victim support shelter, police and health expert practitioners.