“I feel victimised over and over again, this time by the system.” This is the experience of a victim of domestic abuse submitted to the Social Affairs Committee and reproduced in Domestic Violence, Victims and Services. The report documents and analyses domestic violence victims’ experiences of the social, police, health, shelter/housing and legal/judicial services available to them in Malta.
The recommendations that conclude the report merit attention and action. Domestic abuse is both a complex and also a sensitive issue. No two domestic abuse environments are identical and some victims suffer in silence and in secret for many years.
Therefore, victims’ first-hand experiences of the five services, reproduced in the report, are of particular significance. “At the moment of crisis, I was not thinking, I was completely confused and in disbelief. Do these people know what that feels like? I did not find the support in my hour of need.” Besides giving a voice to those silenced by the power holder in a domestic relationship, this ensures a meaningful approach towards the further development of these services.
Not all is doom and gloom, though.
The police services take the lion’s share of the report. This is expected because the police are usually the victims’ first point of contact and continue being their companion for quite some time.
Victims’ experiences of the police are varied. Some say that the officers they came in contact with were very helpful and understanding. However, others found no help whatsoever. Some even claimed that they had to overcome problems brought about by the very police officers who were supposed to help them. Others lost trust in the force.
That is indeed a very worrying statement. Something must be very wrong when the victims don’t trust those entrusted with their protection.
Helplessness often goes along with the loss of trust. “My child is afraid of her father but I feel there is nothing I can do. I feel guilty that I managed to leave my abuser and be safe but I am not able to protect my children from him.”
It is, of course, essential that police officers are equipped with the proper tools and also the necessary resources, training and partnerships to enable them to do their job as well as they should.
This must be coupled with a proper understanding of domestic abuse as well as an appreciation of the harm it causes to victims and their children if they are to carry out effectively their core policing activities of keeping victims safe, preventing crime, investigating it and also bringing offenders to justice.
The other services too, particularly legal/judicial services, need to develop further to be more victim-friendly. A renewed national effort to address domestic abuse is required.
Leadership has a profound effect on the culture of these services and the attitudes of those who are dealing with domestic abuse. It is essential that the leaders of these services reinforce the right attitudes and behaviours.
Partnership is crucial to improving practice in this area. The report includes the submissions and views of NGOs providing services to domestic abuse victims. Statutory and voluntary sector services need to come together in order to provide multi-agency support that can meet the often complex requirements of both the victim and their children.
The improvement of our services’ response to domestic violence must be everyone’s business rather than someone else’s problem. After all, improved services benefit both victims and society.