Immediate online support for victims of crime is now available.
NGOs Victim Support Malta and SOS Malta have set up the first online support system in an attempt to help those shying away from seeking face-to-face help.
The newly launched website provides users with access to a chat service run by trained volunteers and professionals. This serves as the first step in addressing a gap that has existed for years, where victims would not have access to any form of immediate support, the organisations said.
The service operates four times a week, on Monday and Wednesday between 5.30pm and 7.30pm and on Friday and Saturday between 9am and 11am. During the remaining hours, anyone seeking help can send an e-mail which is monitored regularly to provide help in the shortest time possible, the NGOs said. The website also includes a database with legal advice. The organisations said they believed that by offering victims the option of anonymity, more people would come forward to seek help, especially since thousands of crimes tend to go unreported every year.
SOS Malta spokesperson Lorna Muscat said that the organisation had for five years worked on the online support service Kellimni.com and so had experienced first-hand the effectiveness of such a platform.
“The advantage of the online chat support is that it is immediate and the visitor can access information related to their needs without having to speak to someone face to face,” Ms Muscat said, adding that the popularity of online support services in Europe was increasing rapidly.
While a number of issues do crop up when shifting help online – such as issues related to data protection, continuity of support, confidentiality and anonymity – the benefits of such a service still outweighed such issues.
“Many people may not even realise that they are victims of crime, or else are scared to seek help as the crime has been committed by someone close to them,” she added.
Nevertheless, Victim Support Malta spokesman Karl Grech believes that the online platform should not replace more traditional forms of support services.
“We hope to empower those unwilling to seek help face-to-face to come forward. One method is not better than the other but the two should be used together for better results.”
www.vso.org.mt