Victim Support Officer to provide support to crime victims, help train police officers

The Malta Police Force is currently looking for a civilian Victim Support Officer who would be responsible for providing the necessary support, counselling and help to victims of crime, including domestic violence.

The Victim Support Officer will work in close collaboration with the Victim Support Unit to help provide regular training to frontline officers to make sure that they stay up to date with current victim-centred approaches, a spokesperson for the home affairs ministry said.

The publication of this call comes at a crucial time as the issue of femicide and domestic violence in Malta has been brought to the forefront again following the murder of Chantelle Chetcuti. Domestic violence is the third most common crime in Malta.

This post will increase the resources of the police force to be able to ensure that vulnerable victims of crime are given the support they need during such a sensitive time, the ministry said.

“This is part of an ongoing plan undertaken by the Ministry for Home Affairs, National Security and Law Enforcement to beef up resources in the police force and also tackle this issue head-on,” the ministry said.

Recruiting a Victim Support Officer from outside the police force is part of the ongoing reform to recruit more civilians in the force.

“The government believes that the policy of ‘civilianisation’ will form an important part of the drive to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the police force,” the ministry said.

In a meeting held between Minister Byron Camilleri and NGOs working on issues of domestic violence, Camilleri announced that a special unit will be set up that will deal solely with domestic violence crimes.

He explained that the establishment of this specialised unit will ensure that victims of domestic violence are properly supported by trained professionals who are experts in the field.

The Malta Police Force is currently also looking to recruit a digital forensic analyst and a crime analyst.

Applications are open on www.homeaffairs.gov.mt