Benguela - Over 670 cases of domestic violence were reported to the ministry of  family and woman promotion in Benguela province from January to October 2009, a local  official told Angop today.

According to Maria do Céu, head of the local office of the family and woman promotion  ministry, out of the 672 cases reported, 389 were for no payment of child support, 85 for  moral offenses and 83 for physical aggression.

She also mentioned 35 cases of ousted or neglected partners stating that 307 of the cases  were sorted out, 54 were directed to the courts and 28 pending. 

According to the ministry clerck the figure represents an increase of 49 cases compared to  2008 when 623 were reported.

Most of domestic violence cases are due to alcohool abuse and jealousy ending in physical  agressions against wives and kids.

Domestic violence is a very seriuos problem in the province claiming for the engagement of the whole society for affecting all social classes and mostly commited by youngsters aged between  18 and 35, Maria do Céu said considering domestic violence as problem of conscience when  people lose the notion of family for which many couples, mostly youngsters, are not yet  prepaired to live alike.

"Violence has been always there, but each day in our society it reaches the extremes, since this  new generation is very violent" she said disclosing that, to reduce domestic violence levels her  institution is carrying out civic education campaigns for families and communities and retrieve  civic, moral and ethnic values.