Domestic violence reports quadruple in six years

Replying to a parliamentary question raised by backbencher Jean Pierre Farrugia, Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici said that police received 848 domestic violence reports in 2011 - 620 more than those reported in 2005.

However, it was only in 2008 that the police started segregating the reports and listing them under 'grievous injuries', 'moral damage', 'slight injuries' and 'stalking'.

A board member of the Commission on Domestic Violence and lawyer Roberta Lepre' suggested that the increase in numbers is also the result of the much awareness raised by NGOs working in the field.

"The increasing number of reported cases is positive, since it indicates that the awareness campaigns implemented are bearing fruit," the human rights advocate said.

However, Lepre' also warned that these numbers "are just the tip of the iceberg".

She explained that research carried out by the Commission on Domestic Violence showed that 26.5% of women in Malta have experienced domestic violence at some point in their lives, half of which had experienced the violence during that same year.

According to the information tabled in parliament, 312 cases of moral damages were reported to the police last year. But while these marked a substantial increase from 2008's 64 reports, Lepre' insists that this is still "very low".

"Moreover, we need to specify whether this amounts to 'fear of violence' or some other offence/s," she said.

Lepre' also described the reported cases of stalking - which under the Criminal Code would be classified as harassment - as very low. During 2011, only 32 cases of stalking were made to the police, while in 2008 this figure was of a mere 11.

She argued that the low number of reported cases might possibly indicate lack of awareness over the fact that such action constitutes an offence.

"Harassment and fear of violence need to be addressed better since they can escalate to more serious forms of violence," Lepre' said.

According to a report published last year by the Malta Confederation of Women's Organisations, domestic violence affects one in every four women in Malta.

A more worrying fact is that only 50% of women enduring domestic violence seek help, while over one third of research respondents believed that domestic violence should be kept within the confines of the family.

MCWO President Renee Laiviera has long been insisting that while employment was a key tool for abuse victims to take their first step towards independence, the government should be doing more to help them leave abusive situations.