Women reporting domestic violence who felt they were not taken seriously by the authorities could report their experience to the Police Board. Photo: Shutterstock

The Police Vice Squad does not wait for formal reports of violence to take action and has in the past taken the initiative to investigate cases such as sexual abuse in massage parlours and multiple rape of foreign citizens, Home Affairs Minister Emanuel Mallia said last night.

Other cases involved prostitution of Maltese and foreign women, blackmail after sexual acts and illegal adoptions. But better intelligence could lead to greater success, he said to questions in Parliament.

He said women reporting domestic violence who felt they were not taken seriously could report their experience to the Police Board or approach him personally for immediate action. But he had no such reports to date.

Police officers were in fact trained to handle such cases but if they felt out of their depth they could always refer to their superiors or call in the government’s specialised agencies.

Dr Mallia said it was unacceptable that women reporting domestic violence found they could not do so after 5pm.

At a seminar on Tuesday a police superintendent lamented a lack of support services, such as social work and psychological assistance, in cases of domestic violence handled by the police after that time.

Dr Mallia also said the courts could put up a better show when cases came before them. They were empowered to pursue a case even when the victim chose to “forgive” the assailant.

The Minister fully agreed that domestic violence was grossly under-reported.

He was also in favour of the House debating harsher penalties soon for people attacking members of the security forces.

Better intelligence could lead to greater success

Meanwhile, the creation of a Child Support Agency, a Family Protection Unit and the beefing up of the 179 Support Line were suggestions put forward by the Foundation for the Protection of Women to the House Social Affairs Committee when it discussed the issue of domestic violence yesterday evening.

The discussion centred on the way the institutions reacted to and dealt with issues of dom-estic violence.

Lara Dimitrievic of the Women’s Rights Foundation suggested the agency could step in where child support is not paid and where one of the partners is obstructing procedures. The agency could provide a buffer for the guardian parent to fall back upon for the well-being of the children.

Dr Dimitrievic said many complaints were levelled at the service given by the police, such as about forbidding surroundings and untrained, unsympathetic or insensitive police officers.

Lack of action had placed victims of stalking, abuse and violence in an increasingly vulnerable position. Dr Dimitrievic said legal aid for these victims should kick in once a report was filed.

The law regarding protection orders needed to be widened to cover more than those cases where separation proceedings were under way. The protection order should be issued automatically and the court would then check if it was still necessary. This would give the victims courage to stand up to their aggressors.

Former police officer Grace Gatt proposed a Family Protection Unit based on her wide experience in the field of abuse on women. In cases of rape, the victim normally had to face a gruelling wait at the police station, at hospital and at the police HQ.

The harrowing experience lasted for about six hours, during which no support was given.

In cases where a woman was beaten, a frequently overburdened policeman could fob off the victim. Where he did not, the procedures were not only lengthy but did not favour the victim, she said.

Supportline 179, she complained, gave a very poor service.

She said the other side of the coin – where the man was subjected to violence and where the women left the home – were not discussed very much but were a reality. With mixed marriages being increasingly common, prospective spouses needed to be made aware of potential risks.