‘Justice elusive as long as police do not treat abuse on women seriously’

Violence against women has not decreased since implementation of the Istanbul Convention, report finds

Estimates show that 1 in 4 women in Europe will experience physical and sexual violence by an intimate partner at some point in their life
Estimates show that 1 in 4 women in Europe will experience physical and sexual violence by an intimate partner at some point in their life

Malta’s implementation of the Istanbul Convention in 2018 has not yet had any resulting effects on the scale of violence against women, a new report on femicide in Malta has revealed.

The country report compiled by the University of Malta and the Women’s Rights Foundation said Malta’s societal character remained heavily framed by patriarchy as seen clearly in the social attitudes, gender roles and male-dominated discourse in everyday life.

“The mentality is driven by gender stereotypes, especially the roles men and women should play in the family and in society,” the report said.

The report says that men remain the “public body” while women are seen as the private body, a state hindering women who experienced and are survivors of gender-based violence, to access help and assistance.

“The primacy of the family is still quite dominant within Maltese society, and this acts as a barrier to women leaving an abusive relationship, especially due to the assumed ‘wellbeing’ of the children.

“If the police do not consider abuse by a man on a woman to be such a serious matter, then their actions to ‘help and support’ or to facilitate ‘justice’ will reflect their attitudes. The same would apply to the courts. These social conditions, among others, do not mitigate against the risk of femicide.”

In 2020, 1,645 domestic violence cases were reported, all being women, indicating an increase of around 24% of domestic violence reported cases from 2019.

Emergency shelters also reported a slight decrease in the number of families being admitted to the shelter, particularly during the onset of the lockdown period in March 2020.

In 2015, Malta’s chief pathologist issued a statement highlighting that in the last five years, 25% of all homicide victims were victims of femicide by a partner or ex-partner.

The report also highlighted that one in seven women are exposed to physical or sexual violence from young ages, with at least 23% suffering physical, sexual or psychological abuse prior to the age of 15.

“Over the span of 10 years, reported cases of domestic violence have increased in number, and it is suggested that part of the reason behind such an increase for Malta was the increase in the population as well as the increase in awareness among the general population, leading to more people reporting.”

The rate of reporting also increased from 203 per 100,000 population to 318 per 100,000 population, which is approximately a 56% increase. During the same period, the population increased by around 23%.

The report said that an increase in reporting was because of a shift in focus on a national level domestic violence which has become a more serious issue.

“On the other hand, a constant factor remained clear, women were still being killed, and the majority of them were killed as a result of intimate partner violence,” it said.

The report added that the data showed that women had been killed mainly by an ex-husband or ex-partner, and the perpetrators have always been male. “This also highlights the issue of gender, that more women are killed by men than vice-versa.”

It said that even though, over the years, preventive measures have been implemented, these have been sporadic, not long term or consistent.

“This further highlights the lack of focusing on prevention, specifically in terms of the policy. The majority of potential preventative measures are generally project-based and not policy-based, which makes them temporary and not sustainable for the long term.”

While the report acknowledged that the focus of the authorise since the implementation of the Istanbul Convention has been on awareness-raising campaigns and focusing their efforts on the area of education, it said that while these steps in prevention are essential, they are not enough.

COVID-19 and the prevalence of femicide

The report noted that a position paper on the effect of COVID-19 was issued in June 2020 by the Consultative Council for Women’s Rights, showed women were disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

More research was also conducted by the National Commission for promotion, looking into the distribution of work within the household during the pandemic.

However, the report lambasts that no specific legislation was adopted. “No measures were adopted in relation to femicide. However, measures in relation to domestic violence were adopted,” the report said.

Recommendations

The report recommends that mandatory and continual training should be given to legal practitioners, court staff and judges dealing with violence against women, including intimate partners.

“All professionals, including front line police officers and specialised squads, should be trained in risk assessment and risk management.”

It also suggests training to media and journalists on sensitive rather than sensational reporting, limiting reporting to facts and ensuring respect to the victim(s) and her family members in cases of femicide.

“There should be continual educational campaigns for both the public and in schools about red flag situations for bodily harm and potential lethality in cases of domestic violence cases and violence against women,” it said.

The report added that the campaigns should also incorporate awareness of stalking, deprivation of liberty, and coercive and controlling behaviour.

“Awareness campaigns focusing on femicide, and the prevalence of femicide and its various aspects should also be created.”