Police sensitivity criticised as domestic violence reports shoot up to 1,050

Reports to police of domestic violence increased tenfold between 2007 and 2014, amounting to a total of 1,048 last year. Shocking as the figure is, the reality might well be even darker. 

“A third of domestic violence cases don’t get reported,” family lawyer and MP Deborah Schembri told MaltaToday, while criticising the manner some police handle the reports that do come through. 

“Police aren’t always well-equipped to deal with the emotional side of domestic violence, their reports aren’t always well-written, and the accused often gets away with it,” she said. “Some victims report domestic violence to the police, return to the police station to ask for the case to be dropped, then file another report, and ask for that to be dropped. Police might not work so seriously on cases that are continuously filed and dropped.” 

The police problem, she warned, is even trickier for male victims.

“It’s not easy for a man to file a domestic violence report and see the police giggling at him,” Schembri said. “It’s even harder if the victim already knows the policemen or other people at the station personally.”

“Women I met during a recent conference of domestic violence victims told me that the police hadn’t taken their reports seriously,” lawyer Ruth Farrugia said. “I’m not saying that no police take domestic violence reports seriously, but it is an issue that must be explored further.

“However, many women are afraid of reporting their husbands to the police. It takes a lot of courage and determination to leave an abusive partner, particularly if he is threatening you or your children.” 

National Council of Women president Mary Gaerty cited the recent murder of Silvana Muscat – her husband is a main suspect.

“She had already filed three domestic violence reports against him,” Gaerty pointed out. “Something went wrong along the way.” 

However, Police Commissioner Michael Cassar dismissed concerns that domestic violence insensitivity is endemic within the force.

“People often think that the problem lies with the police from A to Z, but I often receive messages of thanks about police who go out of their way to help them, even after hours, ” Cassar said. “The situation isn’t perfect, but some people only see the negative aspects.” 

Of course, the buck doesn’t stop with the police. 

“Domestic violence victims may be ashamed of admitting their reality to family and friends, they may be overcome by a sense of powerlessness, they may be afraid of the physical and financial consequences of coming forward, or they may be unwilling to disrupt the family, particularly their children’s lives,” Equality Commissioner Renee Laiviera said. 

“Women who do report their husbands often end up at shelters, but can only stay there for a few months,” Gaerty said. “If they are unable to stand up on their own two feet by that time, then they’ll become effectively homeless. Many of them end up returning to their abusive partners.”  

“Not all medical professionals are well-trained to identify victims of physical abuse,” Schembri said. “Not all victims tell medical staff how they received their injuries, but some injuries might be indicative of abuse.” 

‘Rampant’ problem of psychological abuse     

454 reports that were filed with police last year specifically pertained to cases of psychological abuse, almost half of the total domestic abuse reports and 59 more than were reported in 2013. 

“Psychological abuse is rampant on the island,” Schembri said. “In many ways, it’s even worse than physical abuse because it’s less noticeable and forms part of a power dynamic that tends to build up over time. The abuser doesn’t usually go whole hog from the start, and the victim tends to make excuses and hide the abuse.” 

She said that these are day-in-day-out forms of abuse that include dominant husbands telling their wives that they are only good for the bedroom, if that, and throwing away dinner before making their wives cook them another meal. 

“Sometimes, children end up bullying their mothers because that’s what they’re used to seeing from their fathers,” she added. 

“We’re so used to hearing about domestic abuse nowadays though, that we no longer get shocked when somebody says that they’ve been abused.”