Online threats could escalate to femicide, junior minister warns

Online threats could easily lead to more severe crimes, including femicide, Equality Junior Minister Rebecca Buttigieg warned on Monday.

Speaking at a conference on domestic violence through technological means, Buttigieg said that cyber violence is becoming increasingly sophisticated and widespread.

She said that while Maltese laws already classify these acts as criminal offences, discussions at conferences like these are essential for sharing ideas on tackling online violence effectively.

“Society cannot turn a blind eye to this form of abuse. Those who commit cyber crimes are at risk of committing more serious offences,” she said.

Commissioner for Gender-Based Violence and Domestic Violence Samantha Pace Gasan discussed the national strategy on violence, which aims to strengthen prevention, prosecution, and victim support structures for technology-facilitated violence.

Monday’s conference was part of a project by the National Commission on Gender-Based Violence and Domestic Violence, funded by the European Economic Area and Norway Grants.

Pace Gasan said the project allowed the commission to learn from Norway and Iceland, where police officers and representatives from the Foundation for Social Welfare Services studied the countries’ strategies to combat cyber violence.