Santa Luċija police station to be transformed into Gender-Based and Domestic Violence Hub

The Gender-based and Domestic Violence Unit will soon operate from its own centre as the Santa Luċija police station undergoes transformation, the police said on Tuesday.

The move will allow the unit to relocate from police headquarters to a dedicated hub that will provide a more comfortable and conducive space for victims of gender-based or domestic violence.

The police said that apart from police officers, the hub will also be staffed by social workers.

The unit has recently increased its complement by 48 officers, and an open call for more officers to join the unit is still ongoing.

The police confirmed recent updates to their internal standard operating procedure guidelines on domestic and gender violence in line with the recommendations made in the Geoffrey Valenzia inquiry. 

The inquiry came as a result of the murder of Bernice Cassar, a mother-of-two who was killed on a public road in broad daylight. Her estranged husband was charged with her murder. 

Cassar had attempted to report her husband for breaching a protection order and threatening her, but was made to wait for hours by the police, eventually leaving without filing a report. She was killed a week later.

The Valenzia inquiry, which investigated Cassar's case, concluded that the system was not working, despite many proposals. The inquiry also highlighted that there was a need for specialised training for police officers when dealing with gender-based and domestic violence cases.

“With the new guidelines, police officers will be better equipped to handle such cases, and their roles when dealing with temporary protection and protection orders will be guided,” the police said.