A foundation geared towards raising awareness about social issues that remain a taboo within our society is being launched by tenor Cliff Zammit Stevens this week.

The Marcy Foundation, named after Mr Zammit Stevens’s late mother Marcelline, will initially focus on domestic violence, an area that is particularly close to the tenor’s heart.

It will later be further expanded to include another three pillars – drug abuse, child abuse and HIV – all areas which, the tenor feels, remain wrapped under a taboo which often stops those who are affected from seeking support.

“My mother suffered domestic abuse for over 20 years, across two relationships, before finally finding the strength to flee – with the help of an entire extended family – to Dar Merħba Bik. The issue of domestic violence remains shrouded in silence to this day and, after my mother passed away in November, I was determined to do something about this,” Mr Zammit Stevens says.

Cliff Zammit Stevens and his late mother Marcelline.Cliff Zammit Stevens and his late mother Marcelline.

Thus, this week sees the birth of The Marcy Foundation, an online platform that is intended to offer those who may be going through any form of domestic abuse access to holistic and practical information at their fingertips.

“There are currently numerous services available to people who are going through this trauma. However, the knowledge of what initial steps and precautions need to be taken is not immediately obvious, as I found out when my family was going through it. My intention is for this foundation to facilitate the process and to empower victims into taking the decision to cut the abuser out from their lives,” the tenor says.

He pragmatically adds that it is “fortunate” that his own and his mother’s experiences were invaluable into shaping the foundation.

“The pain of losing my mother, and of knowing that she spent years putting up with emotional and physical violence, will be there forever,” he says as he remembers the events that marred his childhood and most of his teenage and adult life.

“But I hope that some good can eventually shine out of what ended up as a tragic situation. I have opened up and spoken to many people about this problem and I have come to realise that domestic violence has touched everyone’s life, in some shape or form. If not directly,then through a friend or relative,” he says.

Mr Zammit Stevens’s own experience started in early childhood, as early as six years of age, with an alcoholic father whose abuse fast turned from emotional to physical.

“My evenings were spent watching my father arguing with my mother, shouting, and – eventually hitting her and beating her up. Because he was an alcoholic, things were always worse in the evenings.”

He describes being woken up in the middle of the night, being rushed to the police station in his pyjamas, his mother asking for sanctuary. Awareness back then was limited and the distraught mother and her two sons would always be sent back home after the report was taken.

When Mr Zammit Stevens turned eight, his father walked out on the family, only for his mother to embark on another abusive relationship shortly after.

“I do believe that people have a particular energy around them. My mother’s energy seems to have attracted abusers; she was to stay in this second relationship for 20 years, and this time things were worse,” he says.

Like Mr Zammit Stevens’s father, Marcelline’s new partner turned out to be another alcoholic and, this time, the violence was worse and more regular.

“I grew up seeing my mother bruised and in pain. I hated the man and had no sort of relationship with him. One of the more positive side effects of this, maybe, is that my brother, mother and myself grew to be very united and it is probably this fact that helped her to – eventually – take the decision to escape,” he says.

More than once, the new partner threatened to kill her. At least once that Mr Zammit Stevens is aware of, he put his threat to action.

“He dragged her by the hair to the bridge in Mosta and tried to force her to jump off. Yet, she stayed with him.”

The question almost begs itself: why stay, in such circumstances? Mr Zammit Stevens points out that abusers tend to be charming and very good manipulators, to such an extent that the extended family is often unaware of what exactly is happening. Moreover, the victim themselves are preyed upon to such an extent that they start thinking that this behaviour is normal.

He dragged her by the hair to the bridge in Mosta and tried to force her to jump off

“For many victims, being abused becomes normal. Some think that it is their fault or wonder whether they are exaggerating the violence. I have seen this myself with my mother. At one point, she even told me: ‘if he doesn’t hit me, it means he doesn’t love me’. That is the extent of the emotional manipulation.”

The emotional manipulation also included threats against her and against her family if she ever left him. The tenor’s eventual move to London meant that he couldn’t keep as close an eye on the situation as he wished; because of this, he was not fully aware of how bad the abuse had become, until the very end.

“My mother would hide a lot of things from me. Things came to a head when I visited in 2014 and I could see that enough was enough. Thankfully, we are a very close-knit family; one call to her sisters was enough, and we held an immediate family meeting.”

Abusers are typically very adept at convincing their victims to keep everything under wraps, so Mr Zammit Stevens’s aunts were not fully aware of what was happening. When they realised, the family concocted a plan to get Marcelline out of the house.

“Things were dangerous enough that we could not risk him realising that she was going to walk out. We had to plan her escape in the hour or so that my mother’s partner would be napping in the afternoon and we did so to the minutest detail, even figuring out how to include my mother’s dog in our plan without scaring him or causing him to bark. We literally drove by in the car and spirited her away before he could wake up and realise what was happening,” he says.

Marcelline was taken straight to Dar Merħba Bik, where she was to spend four months. Mr Zammit Stevens describes these months as extremely difficult, with security around the shelter being extremely (and understandably) tight.

“She kept asking herself whether this was the right thing. This is yet another common trait with those who have been on the receiving end of domestic violence. Many victims change their mind and return to their abuser, believing that they are making mountains out of molehills. Such is the bully’s power,” he says.

In Marcelline’s case, she eventually managed to move to a new home of her own and to reintegrate into society. But even then, her former partner continued harassing her until the family managed to obtain a restraining order against him.

“At one point, I came back to Malta to find that she was meeting him and speaking to him again. I told her that this could not be happening. I filed a report at the police station but, although they were extremely supportive, at the end of the day without my mother’s consent there was little to be done. Thankfully, things worked out, especially after we won the court case.”

Marcelline was to enjoy two years of freedom before suddenly succumbing to cardiac complications in November. Eight months on, the emotion is raw on the tenor’s face, as he states how he rushed to Malta right before he was meant to embark on a new tour.

“I got to the hospital about 40 minutes before she passed. At one point I didn’t know how I would make it without her. We were very close, we’d call each other multiple times a day. But somehow, I decided to go straight back to performing. The production team was very understanding and there was an understudy ready just in case but, as things turned out, being on stage was therapeutic,” he says.

The worst part, he adds, was performing to an empty seat on the day when she was meant to attend. However, the support of an extended family has somewhat helped make things more bearable.

“Now that my mother is no longer with us, I want to make sure that other people who are in the same situation have access to all the support they need. Leaving a situation of domestic abuse is very difficult; it takes great strength,” he repeats.

With this in mind, The Marcy Foundation will make all the necessary information accessible under one umbrella, helping victims plan their escape route while offering support on every step of the way. 

If he doesn’t hit me, it means he doesn’t love me

“Everyone has been willing to help, which is lovely. We have a whole team of politicians, personalities, bloggers, fashion people… everyone eager to be part of it, to share information on social media, to raise awareness and to deliver the message that this is no longer taboo,” Mr Zammit Stevens says.

The foundation will work through four avenues: firstly, by raising awareness about what constitutes domestic violence; informing victims of their legal rights, making them aware of which organisers provide support and how; and, finally, tackling after-care. 

The information is there, he says, but it needs to be channelled to those who need it most. For example, many are aware about the invaluable work carried out by Dar Merħba Bik – but how does this work and what happens afterwards?

“Taking the first step to end a situation of abuse is very difficult. The Foundation seeks to facilitate it and help those who need it set up a practical plan,” he concludes.

Cliff Zammit Stevens will be holding his 10th anniversary concert in aid of The Marcy Foundation on October 3 at St George’s Square, Valletta, where he will be performing with Ira Losco and launching his new song Xemx, also recorded with Ms Losco.

www.themarcyfoundation.com

What is the victim’s situation at law?

As things stand, the victim has one of five options available – file a report with the police; go to hospital or a clinic; call national supportline 179; seek the assistance of a government agency like Appoġġ; or seek the assistance of an NGO like Dar Merħba Bik.

Malta is currently in the process of implementing the Istanbul Convention through the Gender-Based Violence and Domestic Violence Act, which offers a higher level of protection to victims of domestic abuse than the previous legislation, and also implements harsher penalties against perpetrators.

Under the new law, the police will be able to take criminal action against perpetrators ex officio, independently of a victim’s report, effectively turning the issue of a domestic violence from a ‘private’ matter into a public one.

Perpetrators can also be immediately evicted from the family home, thus eliminating the biggest reason why many victims are loath to report domestic abuse – the very real possibility of ending up homeless. The Bill marks a very definite shift from the previous system, where the priority was to offer temporary shelter to a victim, rather than making it possible for them to safely remain in the family home.

The Act, which came into effect earlier this year, also introduced a centralised approach by the different authorities when it comes to responding to domestic abuse reports.

“Aġenzija Appoġġ and the Malta Police Force are working together to ensure that the right guidelines, standard operating procedures and protocols between the two entities as well as within the entities themselves are in place,” says Silvan Agius, director at the Human Rights and Integration Directorate.

Under the new law, both entities are to jointly carry out risk assessments of domestic violence victims.

“Aside from the legislative obligations, the Equality Ministry leads an inter-ministerial committee that ensures that services are streamlined, in order to reduce bureaucratic delays for persons accessing them,” Mr Agius says.

The figures

Throughout 2017, there were 1,257 reports of domestic violence lodged with the police, according to figures revealed in Parliament.

Although the incidence is less common, men can also be victims of domestic abuse. According to police data released earlier this year, nearly one in four domestic violence reports are filed by men. The number increases every year.

Victim-blaming remains a big issue. According to a survey commissioned by the European Commission last year, 40 per cent of Maltese agreed with the statement “violence against women is often provoked by the victim”. 

Where to find support

Dar Merħba Bik – Run by The Good Shepherd Sisters, this non-government facility offers a secure emergency shelter to women and children who are or who have been experiencing domestic violence or gender-based violence. The foundation also operates several decentralised hubs across the island. Tel. 2144 0035; www.facebook.com/darmerhbabik/

Victim Support Malta (VSM) is a registered NGO that provides support to victims of crime. Tel. 2122 8333; www.facebook.com/victimsupportmalta.

Appoġġ – Through its Domestic Violence Unit, the agency provides specialised social work services and aims at supporting victims at the time of crises by providing them with immediate assistance to meet their needs, helping them develop a safety plan, as well as providing ongoing support. The Għabex Emergency Shelter, which provides a safe environment for women and their children suffering violence at home, also falls within Appoġġ. Tel. 2295 9000; appogg@gov.mt

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