Number of domestic violence victims in shelters on wane

The number of clients in shelters for victims of domestic violence fell by five per cent in 2021 compared to the previous year, said the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) in a press release on Wednesday.

This decrease is due to a drop in the number of both adult and minor clients.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, the number of clients in shelters had been increasing annually from 2015 onwards.

This trend was interrupted by the pandemic, and the number of clients in shelters has now declined for the second consecutive year.

"The shelter network has done very well in remaining functional throughout the coronavirus pandemic, and there have been more places available in the shelters. However, the coronavirus situation has had a clear impact on how much people have sought help, as there are no indications of a reduction in levels of domestic violence,” said Development Manager of THL Suvi Nipuli.

In 2021, the shelters for victims of domestic violence served 4,963 clients. 57% of these were adults and 43% were children.

About 91% of adult clients were women and 9% were men. Last year, the number of days spent in the shelters totalled 84,462.

If a particular shelter cannot accommodate more clients, the clients are referred to another shelter that is part of the shelter network. Last year, clients were directed to another shelter because of a lack of space a total of 898 times. The need to redirect clients was most common in Uusimaa (340 clients) and Pirkanmaa (275 clients).

"At the beginning of 2022, extra family places were added in both Uusimaa and Pirkanmaa, which will hopefully ease the situation for this year and the coming years," Nipuli added.

"However, the shelter network should be further strengthened in areas where such services are still completely lacking and in areas where the service is not sufficient for the population and needs of the area. People's situations – in relation to school attendance or other needed services – are often such that it is not reasonable to require them to move to a shelter that is far from their residential area,” Nipuli said.

In 2021, there were a total of 29 shelters in Finland offering a total of 211 places for clients coming as a family or alone. The service is free of charge to the client.