Inclusion minister wants gaslighting to be considered domestic violence

Julia Farrugia Portelli made a heartfelt appeal to fellow MPs to specifically include gaslighting as a criminal offence in domestic violence legislation.

The Inclusion Minister was speaking on Monday afternoon in parliament in the Second Reading of a law that empowers individuals to seek information from the police on domestic violence precedents of their prospective partners.

gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation in which the abuser attempts to sow self-doubt and confusion in their victim's mind.

Farrugia Portelli, who described herself as a survivor of domestic violence, said gaslighting leaves victims questioning their own state of mind.

“They use language such as ‘you are mad’ and ‘you are paranoid’; and when things escalate and the victim tries to reply, the aggressor shoots back with words such as ‘don’t you know how to take a joke’ or ‘you are imagining things’,” Farrugia Portelli said.

The tactic is so refined, she added, that it leads to complete manipulation and control of the victim by the aggressor.

“They play a refined game on the mind that makes you feel mad; that leaves you questioning yourself and whether you are truly imagining things... this is also domestic violence,” she said, adding more has to be done to address domestic violence.

The minister said that some countries like the UK have strengthened their laws to include gaslighting as a crime punishable with a maximum five years in prison.

“I truly believe that Malta should also send a strong message against emotional and controlling abuse of a partner,” Farrugia Portelli said.

She asked her parliamentary colleagues to consider going one step further at committee stage to include changes that target gaslighting and send a strong message against this form of domestic violence.

This is not the first time that the minister has spoken about domestic violence and her past experience as a victim.

In today’s session, she addressed her message to the men and women suffering from domestic violence.

“I understand you because I lived the experience; and because I lived it, I know where the system was weak, where it has improved, and where it is still broken,” she said.

The minister added that every time she raised the matter in parliament, in the days that followed she would be inundated with messages from victims opening up to her.

“Tonight, will be another long night in which I will be answering emails and messages from victims and helping them take the first steps,” Farrugia Portelli said.

On a more personal note, she said that whenever she spoke about domestic violence there were those who felt aggrieved.

“The probability is that the days after will not be pleasant… I am not asking for pity because I am a survivor… people like me, more than any other MP, have to continue pushing for reforms because we have walked the gauntlet and know what still has to be done,” she said.