(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 21 - Anti-violence centres D.i.Re (Women's network against violence) have reported a 14% increase in the number of women aided in the first 10 months of 2024 compared to last year, the organization said on Thursday.
    The network said reported cases of gender-based violence have grown for the second consecutive year.
    A survey involving 97% of the network's 88 centres across Italy protecting abuse victims found that 21,842 women turned to one of the facilities to ask for help in the first 10 months of the year.
    If the current trend continues, the total number of women seeking help in 12 months could reach 26,210 victims with a potential increase of 3,125 women compared to 2023, the anti-violence network said.
    On average, the centres welcomed 2,184 women every month in 2024, against 1,924 in 2023.
    "An increasing number of women decide to leave situations of abuse or violence by turning to one of our centres where they know they can find a safe shelter without being judged and in an anonymous way, where they are helped" leave a difficult situation for free, commented Antonella Veltri, president of D.i.Re.
    She added that the organization wants to boost its activity to prevent gender-based violence across society, starting from schools as well as in companies all over the country. (ANSA).