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Four People Are Accused Of Domestic Violence Every Single Day: Does Malta Have A Serious Problem?

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Alarming figures have emerged over Malta’s domestic violence problem with at least four people accused of the horrific crime every single day.

A parliamentary question, answered by Home Affairs Minister Michael Farrugia, revealed that between January and September 2019 the police received a mammoth 1002 reports of domestic violence.

However, the number of people actually accused of domestic violence is larger than the number of cases reported, with 1144 people being accused of the offence during the first nine months of the year.

Men make up the overwhelming majority of alleged perpetrators of domestic violence, accounting for close to 80% of all cases (901).

Worryingly, the Ministry carries no statistics on how many of these reports actually translated into criminal charges, forcing the offender to appear before the court and face the law. However, he insists that every report is investigated, and in the case a crime is discovered, the person is taken to court.

The latest figures follow an alarming trend. Malta’s rates of domestic violence have been on an upward trend since 2010. A previous parliamentary showed that the number of domestic violence cases has more than doubled from 2010 (659 cases) to 2018 (1341 cases).

The issue reached its pitch in September 2018 with the high-profile murder of a mother of five in 2018 resulting in a protest against femicide being held in Valletta.

The figures fail to paint a full picture, with a significant number of cases going unreported, particularly in a Maltese society where abuse often takes place within tight-knit communities and is in some cases amongst relatives.

Do these figures surprise you?

READ NEXT: Guilty Until Proven Innocent: Is Malta’s Domestic Violence Risk Assessment System Turning Blameless People Into Criminals?

Julian is the former editor of Lovin Malta and has a particular interest in politics, the environment, social issues, and human interest stories.

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