CAIRO: Local press reported 63 murder cases among Egyptian families, out of 93 cases of domestic violence overall during the first quarter of 2009, a local NGO said. Maat for Peace, Development and Human Rights has monitored and compiled the number of incidents of violence within the Egyptian family between January and the end of March. It also reported that 25 percent of the victims of family violence are children while 6.5 percent are infants. Honor crimes total 14.2 percent of the cases reported. Crimes carried out by someone who has a psychological or mental disorder counted for 14.2 percent in the report. State-owned Al-Wafd and independent Al-Masry Al-Youm newspapers have reported the highest number of cases. Both newspapers reported cases of family violence almost everyday during the three months, according to Maat's report. In the report, Maat stressed the need "to quickly determine the competence of the Ministry of Family and Population, determine its budget to begin to monitor the social situation of the Egyptian family. The report also urged the urgent implementation of the psychological patients' law to reduce the crimes committed by patients with psychological disorders. The report also called on civil society organizations to intensify their efforts to combat family violence, through organizing seminars and training courses for young people and to the newly married couples about good family relations and the different techniques of children education. The National Council for Human Rights, a state-affiliated watchdog, has warned in its recently issued annual report of a "rising level of violence, barbarous murders, in an unprecedented way in Egypt's history. "I'm not aware if there is objective evidence that the number of cases of violence within the Egyptian family has increased but what is happening is that there is a lot more reporting and transparency on the issue, said Dr Nasser Loza, Mental Health secretariat. "Previously the issue was a taboo and it was under-reported but today you see more coverage, more transparency and more awareness, he added. Last January, a man confessed to killing his wife and children to protect them from a life of poverty when he lost his fortune in the plummeting stock market as the global financial crisis took its toll on economies worldwide.
