At Least Three Domestic Violence Reports Submitted Everyday In Malta
Malta’s authorities received at least three domestic violence reports a day on average throughout 2022, new alarming figures revealed.
The range of reports comes after a a parliamentary question by MP Bernice Bonello to Family Minister Michael Falzon.
Aside from the 2022 figures, Falzon reported that between 2019 and 2021, social service Appogg received 3,538 reports of domestic violence, totalling an average of three every day.
Nearly half the people filing reports were between 30 and 44 years old. The majority of reports were submitted by women (2,910) while men made up 628 of the total.
These figures only scratch the surface of the whole picture of domestic abuse, with many victims remaining silent or falling through the system. It is no surprise when over 96% of domestic violence court cases in Malta fail to result in a conviction, with the vast majority of proceedings “exhausted”.
In 2020, a specialised domestic violence unit was opened to crack down on and streamline DV cases in Malta and receives about five reports a day. However out of 63 reports opened that year, only eight resulted in formal investigations.
These reforms were introduced to face Malta’s worrying rates of domestic violence, with reports of it on a constant rise since the beginning of the decade.
In fact, last year saw 1,099 reports, roughly three cases every single day.
More domestic violence reports may mean more victims are comfortable coming forward due to increased awareness.
Still, more must be done to prevent people from losing their lives, like the ten people who were killed between 2017 and 2022. Bernice Cassar, one of those who lost their life at the hands of violence, had even filed a police report the night before her murder.
Does Malta need to do more to fight domestic violence?
READ NEXT: Man Hospitalised After Fire Breaks Out In Rabat Garage
