Domestic violence reports up 70% in five years after police service overhaul
Third dedicated victims' hub to open in Mtarfa later this month
Domestic violence reports rose by 70 per cent in the five years since the police launched a "more professional, empathetic service", the Police Commissioner said on Thursday.
Angelo Gafà was speaking as the police prepare to open a third hub for victims of domestic violence and gender-based violence in Mtarfa later this month.
The police already operate a hub in Santa Luċija which was opened in February 2024 and another one in Gozo which opened in September the same year. The Mtarfa centre, housed in the former police station, will offer a range of support services round the clock.
Gafà pointed out that the increase in reports of domestic violence was “not coincidental, but a direct result of a more professional, sensitive and empathetic service.”
He also attributed it to continued investment in knowledge and education.
Eurostat data shows that Malta has the highest reporting rate of gender-based violence in Europe – 48 per cent – almost double the European average of 26 per cent.
Human resources and infrastructure have been “substantially strengthened” over the past five years and currently around 70 officers operate exclusively in this field, including in Gozo.
Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri said Malta has gone from having no specialised service for victims of domestic violence to having three dedicated hubs.
The first gender-based and domestic violence unit within the police force was established in November 2020 and in April 2021 the Victim Support Agency was set up.
“For many years, victims of crime were not aware of the procedures and their rights. With the establishment of this agency, victims are being given the priority they deserve so that we can protect them in the best possible way,” Camilleri said.
Legislation passed in parliament in 2023 allowed people in a relationship to begin receiving information on whether their partner had previously been found guilty of domestic violence.
Last year, panic alarms were introduced and handed out to those who were considered at risk.