Two thousand four hundred and seventy four men (2,474) were beaten by their wives last year, according to statistics from the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU).

This shows an increase of 62 per cent over the 1,528 cases recorded in 2010.

The women are said to have attacked their partners with harmful implements such as knives, sticks and hot pressing irons over issues like poverty, irresponsibility, alcoholism, drug use, frustration, intimidation, and denial of sex.

Mr. Freeman Tettey, DOVVSU Public Relations Officer (PRO), who spoke to the Times on the issue in Accra yesterday, said more men were now reporting all forms of abuse by their wives, mainly as a result of the intensive educational drive by the unit.

“Men are now reporting abuses against them because they do not want to take the law into their own hand,” he explained but added that the women invariably claimed they acted in self-defence.

Despite the sharp increase in husband battering, Mr. Tettey said women were still by far the worst victims of domestic violence, with 15,495 reported cases last year.

In other statistics, the unit recorded 1,168 defilement cases, 370 rape, 159 cases of child exposure to harm, 5,797 non-maintenance cases, 274 causing damage and 139 causing harm.

Others are 607 stealing cases, 15 bigamy, 12 sodomy, 86 abortion, 5,362 assault, 20 child abuse, and kidnapping 13.

He dismissed the notion that the unit was for women’s welfare only, saying, it was established to ensure justice for all victims of domestic violence.

He urged victims to report the perpetrators to the police, instead of accepting out-of-court settlements, especially in cases of sexual offences, spousal murder or rape.