Palembang, South Sumatra – The Palembang chapter of the Women's Crisis Center recorded 400 cases of domestic violence in South Sumatra last year.

Yeni Roslaini, the chapter's chairwoman, said on Sunday that 334 of the cases were assaults on housewives, while the remainder included sexual harassment and violence against children and domestic workers.

Yeni said that two of the cases had resulted in the deaths of victims in Palembang. "But the cases were not tried (in court) on the request of the victim's families," she said.

She said that there had been 147 cases of domestic violence against housewives in 2004, up from 92 in 2003. "The phenomenon of violence against housewives constitutes the tip of the iceberg. The real number could be much higher because many cases are not reported," she said.

Domestic violence was caused by various problems, including economic, cultural and social issues, Yeni said.