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Justice Minister Counselor Nasser Al-Sumait announced that 646 domestic violence cases were registered with the Public Prosecution between March 15 and September 13 of this year. That figure represents a decline of 365 cases from the 1,011 recorded during the same period in 2025, the minister told the Kuwait News Agency. Al-Sumait directly attributed the reduction to Decree-Law No. 11 of 2026, which prohibits waivers, reconciliation or pardons in certain domestic and sexual abuse matters.
The Cabinet had approved the 31-article decree-law on February 10, with publication in the official gazette occurring in mid-March, according to ministry statements. In an earlier update delivered in June, Al-Sumait had reported a 33 percent drop during the law’s first three months, with cases decreasing from 486 to 328 over that interval. The justice minister stressed that the six-month trend continues to reflect clearer procedures that direct protection toward verified incidents while limiting procedural misuse.
A separate ministry assessment released in August found that all forms of violent crime presented to prosecutors fell by 53.2 percent in the first half of 2026, with assault and battery cases alone declining 63.6 percent. Al-Sumait noted on that occasion that the domestic violence legislation formed part of a wider package of reforms addressing family-related offenses. The law extends protections to spouses in formal marriages, blood relatives up to the second degree, stepchildren and those under alternative custody arrangements, the decree specifies.
Al-Sumait cautioned that the reduction in registered cases does not signify the elimination of domestic violence as a societal concern. He emphasized that every such incident continues to threaten family stability and requires ongoing serious attention from authorities and the public alike. The minister added that the Ministry of Justice will maintain monitoring of statistical indicators to measure the legislation’s sustained performance.
Protecting the family constitutes a shared national responsibility, Al-Sumait stated, adding that the legal framework may undergo further evolution based on its proven effectiveness in lowering crime rates and supporting broader security and stability. The decree-law includes stricter safeguards in situations involving sexual abuse, violence by children against parents, or offenses against minors and individuals lacking legal capacity. These provisions aim to prevent withdrawal of complaints in the most serious categories while still permitting reconciliation where appropriate in less severe family disputes.
