Mater Dei Hospital saw six victims of domestic violence in January alone

Six domestic violence victims were admitted to Mater Dei Hospital’s emergency room during the first month of 2020.

The figure was tabled in Parliament by Health Minister Chris Fearne while answering a parliamentary question from Labour MP Silvio Grixti.

Fearne said that as of 5 February 2020, six people were admitted to the emergency room claiming to be victims of domestic violence. 

In 2017, 23 victims of domestic violence were admitted to hospital. However, worryingly, the number of cases more than doubled in 2018 to to 48 and increased further last year to 64.

Fearne said that the statistics fail to give a clear picture of the issue in Malta, as victims who fail to disclose whether their injuries are the result of domestic violence are not included. 

Domestic violence was pushed to the forefront once again, after Chantelle Chetuci a 34-year-old mother of two was murdered by her ex-partner in a brutal knife attack. The man, Justin Borg, has been charged in court after giving himself up to the police.

Chetcuti was left bleeding on the pavement outside a Żabbar football club with the knife still stuck in her head. She died in hospital less than 24 hours later.