Battered wives’ advocate says Josie Muscat comments ‘justify violent behaviour’

Updated with MIM reaction at 4:10pm.

The director of Victim Support Malta, lawyer Roberta Leprè, has taken issue with comments by the former leader of right-wing party Azzjoni Nazzjonali who insisted that most men were being "provoked" into domestic violence by their wives.

Josie Muscat, once a Nationalist MP, told The Times that although domestic violence could not excused and condemnable, "lots of women first provoke and then run off pretending to cry".

Muscat was invited to speak at the Malta Institute of Management's conference on gender violence on the workplace, although his comments were not directly reported by the Times.

His comments sparked harsh reactions on social network sites such as Facebook, and raised the eyebrows of human rights advocates and those working in the field of domestic violence.

"It is indeed a pity that after many efforts to eradicate the perception that violence within an intimate relationship is acceptable, prominent figures make statements which indeed justify violent behaviour or blame it on the victim herself," Leprè said.

Leprè said the most important step in stopping abuse was for both the victim and the perpetrator to acknowledge their abusive situation and take responsibility for such actions. "By blaming the abusive behaviour on the other party, the perpetrator clearly shrugs off such responsibility, which means that there can be no recovery."

She also said that although there can be circumstances which aggravate the tension between a couple, ultimately people had to be morally and legally responsible for their actions. "We are living in a civilised society where such behaviour is clearly no longer acceptable," she said.

Josie Muscat, a former MP for the Nationalist opposition in the 1980s, founded the St James private hospital group but in 2008 returned to the political arena with a conservative, right-wing party. Azzjoni Nazzjonali, with its hard-line anti-immigration stance, attracted names such as entrepreneur Anglu Xuereb, but its miserable showing at the polls spelt its demise. The party folded soon after.

Leprè said it was unfortunate that while Malta's legal structure is finally sending a clear message against domestic violence, prominent figures were now sending contrasting messages.

"Recent court decisions are also sending out the message that violence is not acceptable, by imposing tougher sanctions on perpetrators. Sending contrasting messages is clearly not beneficial to either the perpetrator himself, the victims, or society in general."

In a reaction, the Malta Institute of Management claimed Muscat's comments may have been incorrectly reported.

"Dr Josie Muscat insisted at all times that violence in all its forms is condemned at all times. As also the Appogg representative present agreed, in assessing cases of violence one needs to determine the cause of it. In certain cases it is a reaction to something else including but not limited to education and or other source of violence. As stated by Dr. Muscat there are various forms of violence and some could be a reaction to the other. In analysing this in detal, one may be in a better position to help  the victims of any form of violence and also the other person," MIM president Reuben Sciberras said.

"With respect to the comment regarding the participation of men, again, Dr Muscat explained that men may find it more difficult to talk about the violence they were subject to. This, although not right, due to the pride that men may carry in their character. Men may be subject to various kind of violence particularly psychological ones from various fronts which may also include the education system, peers, partners and relatives amongst others. The reality is that due to societal behaviour it is more difficult for men to express certain matters. In this context, in order to combat gender violence in all of its forms one must hear all the parties concerned and find ways how to encourage all victims to speak up."