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One third of EU women suffered abuse in lifetime: Study

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A new study reveals that one in every three women in the European Union (EU) countries has experienced at least one physical or sexual assault since the age of fifteen.

The Violence Against Women report by the EU’s Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), released on Wednesday, shows that some 33 percent of women living across the 28-nation bloc, equating to 62 million people, have been a victim of violence during their lifetime.

The study was based on interviews with 42,000 women aged between 18 and 74, asking participants about their experiences of physical, sexual and psychological harassment.

“What emerges is a picture of extensive abuse that affects many women’s lives, but is systematically under-reported to the authorities,” said FRA director Morten Kjaerum.

According to the report, one in every 10 women has faced some form of sexual violence since the age of fifteen while one in every 20 has been raped.

Moreover, 22 percent of those surveyed said they had suffered from physical or sexual violence by a partner and 67 percent said they did not report the incidents of domestic violence to the police.

Some 55 percent of the respondents were also found to have been sexually harassed often in the workplace.

Denmark, Finland and Sweden ranked among the worst countries in Europe concerning violence against women with the proportion of those affected standing at 52, 47 and 46 percent respectively.

The UK was also found to be the fifth worst country, with 44 percent of British women saying they have suffered from violence in their lifetime.

Earlier in February, a study by Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that 30 percent of British women and 16.3 percent of men had experienced domestic violence at some time since the age of 16, which is equivalent to an estimated 4.9 million women and 2.7 million men in the UK.

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