Momentum makes three proposals to help domestic violence victims

Momentum has proposed a faster state response to domestic violence cases, saying victims are too often left waiting for protection, court action and safe accommodation.

The party said domestic violence should be treated as an emergency in every reported case, with immediate action taken to protect victims from their alleged abusers.

In a statement on Wednesday, the party proposed three key measures to fix areas it described as “visibly broken”: the response at the point of crisis, delays in court proceedings, and the lack of safe accommodation for victims and their children.

Momentum said people who report domestic violence should not be left exposed while the authorities process forms or wait for court action. Reported cases had to be addressed immediately. 

“A reported case of domestic violence is an emergency, and it must be treated as one every single time,” the party said.

The party also proposed appointing an additional judge dedicated exclusively to domestic violence cases, arguing that delays in such cases can have serious consequences.

“Justice that arrives late is no justice at all, and in domestic violence cases delay can kill,” it said.

Momentum said protection orders and domestic violence cases were being caught up in a wider judicial bottleneck, with some cases dragging on for months or years.

The party also made a third proposal: more accommodation for victims fleeing abusive homes with their children.

The party said the government should cover the maintenance and refurbishment costs of NGO premises that provide shelter and support to domestic violence victims, vulnerable people and families.

Momentum executive committee member Katya Compagno said the country could not continue responding to domestic violence killings with statements and vigils while leaving the same system unchanged.

“Every time someone in Malta is killed by a partner they have already reported, both parties release a statement, light a candle, and go back to business as usual,” she said.

“The system they trusted is the same system the next victim will trust, and it will fail them in the same way. Momentum’s three proposals are an immediate response, a dedicated judge, and a safe place to sleep. That is what protection actually looks like.”

Judicial reform enacted in the previous legislature saw specific magistrates assigned domestic violence cases. Despite that increased focus, the judiciary has struggled to keep up with the flood of cases concerning the crime - domestic violence reports to the police increased by 70 per cent over five years.