A group of about 50 people, most of them women, took part in a silent demonstration from City Gate in Valletta to the Law Courts this afternoon calling for faster action for victims of domestic violence.

The participants, who were wearing black, carried posters saying “We need protection now”, “Victims of domestic violence can’t wait”, “The fear is real”, and “Delays cost lives”.

Labour MPs Owen Bonnici and Leo Brincat took part in the protest, organised by Victim Support Malta and a group of citizens.

The initiative follows the recent murder of 40-year-old Christina Sammut who was shot four weeks after she filed a report at the Rabat police station claiming her former partner had chased her with a knife.

Soon after the shooting, on December 11, her ex-boyfriend, Kenneth Gafà turned himself in to the police. He was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to shooting Ms Sammut in Żebbiegħ where she had gone to meet her new boyfriend.

A recent study on the prevalence of domestic violence in Malta showed that a quarter of women have been physically, emotionally or sexually abused by their husband or partner. More than half of the abused women never sought help.