Need for victims to feel supported and safe
The scourge that is domestic violence has reared its head again following the murder of Chantelle Chetcuti, who was stabbed in the head by a former partner.
The Malta Independent on Sunday reported yesterday how Chetcuti had filed a police report in 2013 against the man who now stands accused of her murder, but the case fell through when the victim chose not to testify against the alleged perpetrator.
We can only speculate as to why this happened; maybe she was scared of him, or maybe she loved him too much to see him end up behind bars. Unfortunately, this is something that happens all too often.
Victims may be discouraged from reporting for a myriad of reasons. They might hold back out of fear, or because they know that the process would be a long and painful one. They might have heard the experiences of people who went to file a police report but were sent back, told that it was not “worth the hassle.”
This newsroom also reported yesterday that there are cases where domestic violence cases are classified as ‘high-risk’ but the courts still deny requests for protection orders to be issued. In such cases, the police prosecuting the perpetrators have their hands tied, and the victims are placed in a terrible position.
There is also the possibility that the victims themselves could end up facing charges.
It is clear that we still do not have the right structures in place to help victims feel safe enough to speak out.
The story we published on our front-page yesterday was not an attempt to place the blame on the victim. Far from it. We published the information to show how important it is for victims to speak out on the horror they are made to suffer and, more importantly, for the state to provide the necessary climate to make it easier for the victims to speak out and to ensure that prosecutions do not fall through.
In the case of Chantelle Chetcuti, once the case fell through, the police did not have the power to follow up the situation, to ask the victim if she was still being abused.
It also emerged, from a separate interview published yesterday, that most people who report domestic violence only do so after a number of incidents have taken place, very seldomly after the first incident.
It was reported elsewhere last week that the number of domestic violence victims treated at
Mater Dei Hospital’s emergency department tripled over three years, but emergency doctors and a support service say the figures are much higher.
This means that the need to put in place the proper structures to deal with domestic abuse is higher than ever.
The Malta Police Force has now issued a call for the post of a Victim Support Officer who will be responsible for providing the necessary support, counselling and help to victims of crime.
The police are also in the process of setting up a special unit that will deal solely with domestic violence crimes. The unit, it is said, will ensure that victims of domestic violence are properly supported by trained professionals. The government has also appointed a new domestic violence commissioner, with the role being made full-time.
These are all steps in the right direction but perhaps more measures are needed, such as educating people about the subject and about their rights, harshening penalties for perpetrators and ensuring that not only is support given to victims, but also the sense of security they so desperately need.