Kuwait’s Public Prosecution registered a 33 percent drop in domestic violence cases during the first three months after the new Domestic Violence Protection Law entered into force, Justice Minister Judge Nasser Al-Sumait announced on June 20, 2026. Ministry of Justice statistics placed the figure at 328 cases compared with 486 in the same period the year before, a decline of 158 matters that Al-Sumait described as a key measure of the statute’s success in balancing family protection against procedural misuse. The law permits reconciliation in certain family disputes but maintains strict rules for the most serious offenses, according to the minister’s statement to Kuwait News Agency.
Al-Sumait explained that the legislation prohibits waiving complaints or pursuing reconciliation in cases of sexual abuse, violence by children against parents, and abuse against children or individuals lacking legal capacity. These exceptions reflect the authorities’ view of the severity of such acts and the need for full legal accountability without exception. He added that the overall reduction in registrations does not reflect any reduction in victim safeguards but instead shows the law directing protection more precisely toward high-risk situations.
The decree-law, which contains 31 articles, was approved by the Cabinet on Feb. 10 and published in the official gazette Kuwait Al-Youm in mid-March. It aligns with constitutional and social obligations to uphold justice, preserve family stability as society’s foundation, and ensure a safe environment for all members. The Ministry of Justice said it will continue evaluating the law’s performance through statistics and indicators in the government’s family protection program.
Kuwait previously enacted Law No. 16 of 2020 on protection from domestic violence, which created a national committee, shelters and a hotline but still encountered problems including widespread complaint withdrawals. A submission by Musawah to relevant bodies recorded an estimated 1,100 annual cases of violence against women, with women forming 80 percent of victims, and more than 3,778 complaints filed across three years by August 2023. Half of those cases involved women withdrawing complaints under family and societal pressure.
A 2018 study cited in human rights reporting found that 53.1 percent of women in Kuwait had experienced gender-based violence. UN Women data shows that countries with domestic violence legislation register intimate partner violence rates of 9.5 percent versus 16.1 percent in countries without such laws. Kuwait’s 2016 submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women listed only 447 court cases that year, of which 76 resulted in convictions.
The 2026 decree, known as Decree No. 11, replaces the 2020 law and introduces measures to close earlier gaps by providing faster protective orders and coordinated institutional support. Human Rights Watch noted in 2020 that the original statute marked progress yet called for additional criminal penalties and broader coverage of relationships. Al-Sumait stated that the ministry’s monitoring will link legislative adjustments to measurable results in family safety and societal well-being.
