UN chief urges end to gender violence amid virus

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appealed for an end to domestic violence, as fears grow that victims are unable to escape to safety because of the lockdowns imposed as the world battles the new coronavirus. In a message released late on Sunday (Monday GMT), Guterres said there had been a "horrifying global surge" in domestic violence cases over the past two weeks, with the number of women seeking support services doubling in some countries.

He urged all governments to make the "prevention and redress" of violence against women a key part of their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The new coronavirus has caused a global pandemic that has sickened at least 1,200,000, killed 68,000 worldwide, crippled economies and forced restrictions on the movement of millions of people in an effort to stop the virus from spreading further and overwhelming health care systems.