Can bystanders be taught how to stop domestic violence?

The cold-blooded murder of Chantelle Chetcuti on Sunday evening left the country in shock, as once again a woman fell victim to brutal domestic violence that raises questions on the dangers of violent masculinity.

The incident sparked a flurry of reactions from NGOs, politicians and activists. But among these reactions, the question on what bystanders should have done was raised, with some blaming those present at the bar for not intervening.

On social media, the arguments were about what people who saw the argument escalating could have done, while others insisted that one wrong move could affect a witness’s personal safety when they do not know who the aggressor is.

Women’s rights activist Lara Dimitrijevic, who was among the most vocal following the incident, said that while personal security should always be prioritised, the country still has a strong culture of accepting domestic violence.

“I feel it is our obligation to flag domestic abuse when we see it,” she said.

Lara Dimitrijevic: “We have a situation where your fate lies in what police depot or with which police constable you file your report… despite domestic violence being the second most reported crime in Malta, less than half of the cases end up in court”

It is a sentiment shared by outgoing domestic violence commissioner Simone Azzopardi. “We should be educating our children on flagging domestic violence from a young age, we must teach them that silence is not golden.

“While people should be cautious in how they report domestic violence, common sense should prevail when clear signs of domestic violence are present.”

Clarissa Sammut Scerri, an academic specialising in domestic violence, does not believe that Malta’s problem with domestic violence is a cultural phenomenon. “Wherever in society cultural and social norms support violent behaviour, wherever there isn’t gender equality and respect for all, where there is easy access to guns and knives and availability of alcohol and substance use, then it is likely that vulnerable victims across all socio-economic sectors are going to suffer because of domestic violence. So, no one can justify domestic violence as a cultural phenomenon,” she said.

Dimitrijevic said Malta needs an ongoing campaign, “not just an accident-inspired outcry”.

Even a spokesperson for the police force said bystanders witnessing such incidents should immediately report escalating situations. “We recommended that people file a report, even anonymously if need be, and let the police intervene.”

Domestic violence campaigns can not only revolve around teaching children on how to react to such situations, but also on how victims of violence can call out for help.

A simple code-word campaign for people feeling unsafe on a date got global attention after a picture of the poster dotted around bars in Lincolnshire, England emerged on Twitter. The campaign educates people on how to discreetly ask for help by going to a bar or DJ booth “asking for Angela”, which is a codeword to alert the staff to diffuse the situation.

Hayley Child, the mind behind the campaign, said that ‘Angela’ is a play on the word Angel (guardian). Posters are placed in toilets at establishments and bars, helping individuals to become aware of the campaign. Posters also include the number for the region’s rape crisis team if people want to get in touch.

Despite no ongoing campaign going in Malta, the police said that an emergency report can be filed via SMS through the 112mt app.

But Dimitrijevic says police are still not doing enough. “We have a situation where your fate lies in what police depot or with which police constable you file your report…  despite domestic violence being the second most reported crime in Malta, less than half of the cases end up in court.

“We also can’t have a situation where we wait for the incident to happen before we react, and in case of the woman who was killed, it was too late,” she said.

The 112mt app can be downloaded here.