Malta Women's Lobby urges victim-centered approach in court after attack on two sisters

The Malta Women’s Lobby is urging for a victim-centered approach from magistrates after an attack on two sisters by a man that was already in court for domestic violence.

In a statement on Sunday, the lobby group said it was deeply disturbed and saddened by the incident. “This appalling act of violence is yet another tragic reminder of the persistent threat faced by girls and women in our society, who are not even safe in their own home.”

The incident happened on Saturday afternoon at a residence in Marsa. According to police, the man gained access to the property and attacked the two sisters with a bladed weapon. The aggressor was later identified as a 43-year-old Maltese man from Bormla.

The lobby group said it was alarming that the perpetrator was previously brought before the court for threatening his partner and her daughter, but the victim was reluctant to testify against him, causing the accused to walk away free from the accusations.

“This tragic incident underscores the urgent need for a robust legal framework and support systems to protect victims of domestic violence and hold perpetrators accountable for their actions, even when victims refuse to testify.”

“Victims who do not testify often do not have a real choice but do so out of fear, desperation, and coercion. Magistrates should adopt a victim centered approach and should not depend on the testimony of the victim alone to proceed with the case.”

The lobby group urged authorities to implement comprehensive measures to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. “We are frustrated with a broken system that shifts the blame onto victims, particularly women, instead of acknowledging its failures and addressing them.  It is clear that women’s issues are not deemed to be important.”

The Malta Women’s Lobby is an umbrella organisation that works in the area of women’s rights. The members of the lobby group are:

• Association for Equality Malta
• Assocjazzjoni Nazzjonali tas-Segretarji Ezekuttivi tal-Kunsilli Lokali u Regjuni (ANSEK)
• FIDEM
• General Workers Union (GWU)
• Group of Independent Members
• Malta Association of Women in Business (MAWB)
• Malta Employers Association (MEA)
• Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN)
• Mediating Women – Balancing the Media
• Union Haddiema Maghqudin (UHM)
• Women for Women (Malta)
• Women`s Study Group
• Womens Rights Foundation