Domestic Violence Victims Explain What It’s Like To Make A Report At Malta’s DV Unit – And How This Can Be Improved
In light of the recent murder of Bernice Cassar, many domestic violence victims have come forward to share their stories.
The latest person Lovin Malta spoke to is a domestic violence victim who explained how difficult it was for her to place a report at Malta’s Domestic Violence unit stationed at the depot in Floriana.
The woman opened up about her experience with domestic violence on the local all-femme platform Women for Women.
She then compiled an anonymous document with others’ experiences, all with their permission, on all the technical ins and outs of filing a report, and what they were faced with upon asking for assistance.
So, what’s it like to make a DV report in Malta?
The victims started off by listing that a report needs to be filed within 24 hours of the aggression, which arguably doesn’t give enough time for the victim to process the event. This report can only be made at the DV unit in Floriana, and cannot be made over the phone.
They detailed how the waiting time is over five hours during the day, and around two hours at night, however, if the system is down, they will have to wait even longer.
If the victim has kids, these will be looked after by a policeman, and the victim is escorted to what was described as a “dark passage in a very old building”.
Victims are also not given the option of whether a woman or a man takes their report, which could trigger someone who just got abused.
In terms of presenting physical evidence, the victim will need to present a medical certificate after visiting a doctor. Victims were also told that the harassment needs to be daily, and they cannot report harassment that happened more than three months before.
Some victims also detailed that the reports they made between 2021 and 2022 were scheduled to be heard in court between 2023 and 2024, a whopping two years after the report was made.
It’s also very important to note that in these cases, the victim is the one who would need to leave the house, and not the aggressor. Victims noted that this should be the other way around.
Then, if a person wants to pick up their belongings from the house where the aggressor is still staying and there is no available policeman due to other important events, you have to pay per hour for a police officer to accompany you.
What do the victims suggest?
The victims suggested that the DV unit should be refurbished to make it a more welcoming and comfortable space, rather than what was described as an “ugly cold place”.
The victims also stressed that one cannot expect a victim who plucked up the courage to report to be left waiting there for hours, describing it as inhumane.
They continued by saying there is an obvious need for more staff and suggested that once someone files a report, a follow-up call should be arranged.
Another suggestion was to have talks that raise awareness and provide guidance about domestic violence and where to seek help for secondary school students and onwards.
Police officers should also be properly trained to handle these situations, especially sensitive ones involving physical violence and rape, with proper training given to understand the physiological and psychological suffering of the victim.
The government should allocate sufficient funds to be able to appoint more professionals both in law and police departments and also refurbish the unit for welcoming today’s needs of the victims and their children, with a play area for the children.
If you’re a victim, here’s where you can get help
The victims also prepared a list of organisations that could help with instances of domestic violence.
Support line 179
Police 112
Appogg
Mental Health Malta
Victim support unit
Domestic violence unit
Child support service
Kellimni.com
Legal aid
Shelters
Dar Merħba Bik
Dar Emmaus
Soar
Fondazzjoni Dar il-Hena
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