Local and regional authorities should be the main promoters of zero tolerance towards domestic violence, the deputy mayor of Qrendi told a Council of Europe conference.

Claudette Abela Baldacchino, vice-president of the Socialist Group in the Congress for Local and Regional Authorities of the CoE, said such authorities were agents of change because they had the knowledge of local and regional needs.

Thus they were in a pivotal position to ensure that the services provided were designed around the needs of their communities.

The conference was organised to close a campaign on violence against women, including domestic violence.

Ms Abela Baldacchino pointed out that, although councils in Malta were not responsible for such issues, they had joined the Commission Against Domestic Violence, a national government appointed body, in a bus shelter campaign aimed at increasing awareness.

According to social workers, the campaign had an impact in that a number of victims seeking help did so because they could identify themselves with the poster used.

And according to statistics, there was a two per cent increase in the number of people seeking help in January and February this year compared with the same period last year.

Mayors, deputy mayors, councillors and council chief executives also took part in a walkathon to raise funds for Għabex, an emergency centre for victims of domestic violence, she noted.

Malta's Domestic Violence Unit deals with an average of 1,000 cases a year. However, many more people suffer in silence with the number of cases increasing during the holiday periods, she added.