Domestic abuse campaign seeks to empower victims

A smoother process is needed in helping domestic violence victims move forward after they seek assistance or report abuse, according to Joanna Xuereb, who chairs the Domestic Violence Commission.

“Once this process starts going it has to move seamlessly,” Ms Xuereb said, adding victims did not only have to know how to seek help but also what happened afterwards.

She was speaking after the launch of a campaign aimed at raising awareness among victims and empower them to overcome their situation and ultimately seek employment.

Ms Xuereb said the system needed to be formalised, with intense training for professionals working in the field and a standardised process for victims to follow.

“There are a lot of people involved in this field, whether it’s the police, the judiciary or social workers, and there has to be intense internalised training, with some kind of monitoring system for it to be better standardised,” Ms Xuereb said.

In December, Victim Support Malta director Roberta Leprè had called on the police to treat domestic violence cases with more urgency as it was at the discretion of the police inspector at the police station where the report was lodged to determine whether a case should be treated as urgent or not.

When questioned, however, Ms Xuereb preferred not to comment on the police system, saying many professionals were involved in the field and internalised training was required for each sector.

The police were in fact given training last week as part of The European Social Fund Project Dignity for Domestic Violence Survivors. Other professionals were also being trained to handle domestic abuse cases.

“Hopefully, in the near future things will improve,” Ms Xuereb said.

In the coming days, the commission will be making recommendations to the government based on research carried out locally.

Posters in Maltese and English will be put up around the island depicting women in a violent relationship, aiming to seek help. As time passes, the posters progress with the models becoming more empowered, until they finally don a working gown, depicting how things can improve with help. All forms of media will be targeted in the campaign that runs until November.

It also aims to inform the public and employers about the prevalence of domestic violence, which stands at 25 per cent of women, and promote their dignity.

A study carried out by the Domestic Violence Commission found that 12 per cent of the 1,154 surveyed in 2010 reported they had experienced physical abuse by their husband or partner with whom they lived. One in three of these women were still experiencing abuse. However, fewer than half of the women sought help.