This week marked the one-year anniversary since the femicide of mother-of-two Bernice Cassar, who was shot dead on her way to work.
Bernice’s estranged husband allegedly held a knife to her throat in May 2022 – an incident that led her to leave her matrimonial home with her two children.
She managed to get a protection order which he allegedly breached. That was before she was stopped in her tracks as she drove to work and was gunned down in the middle of the road.
Last week, her four siblings broke a year-long silence and spoke about the way she lived the last nine days of her life in fear – begging the authorities to protect her.
Her two brothers and two sisters also questioned what happened to the recommendations drawn up as part of the inquiry that concluded that the state ‘system’ failed Bernice.
Soon after they spoke up, the government called a press conference in which it announced that 70 per cent of the recommendations were fulfilled and the rest would soon be implemented.
The government said the definition of domestic violence will be amended to be tightened, since its current one is too broad and is overloading the system.
We heard there are 2,283 domestic violence cases pending before the two magistrates assigned to handle such cases.
The court delays are blind to the real fears of victims and their families who long for peace of mind and closure
We heard that, in line with the recommendations, there are 25 new police officers added to the Domestic Violence Unit. And, as from January, ‘special time’ will be allocated in court to analyse more urgent domestic violence cases.
We were also told that the much-criticised risk assessment tool – which failed to see the high risk Bernice was in – is being changed; and that domestic violence hubs will be open where people can file domestic violence reports, that currently all go through police headquarters.
While there have been positive changes, gaps remain; like the fact that the fears of victims are being overlooked by the ‘system’.
The court delays are blind to the real fears of victims and their families who long for peace of mind and closure.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola recently called for proper protection frameworks.
“We need more convictions of those who prey on females. And we need to end the remaining institutional blindness to this epidemic upon women. There are no more excuses. It is already too late,” she said.
For Bernice it is too late.
It was good to hear Prime Minister Robert Abela publicly apologising on behalf of the State for “systematic shortcomings”. Bernice’s family said the change is not happening fast enough and organised a remembrance gathering to get their messages across on the anniversary of the murder.
Last week, we heard of a particular victim who filed a domestic violence report with the police in October, only to receive a summons to appear in court in January 2025.
In short, the backlog that existed before Bernice was killed remains. If we have learnt anything from Bernice’s tragic story, it’s that immediate action is needed.
This month, Bernice was meant to be standing in court and testifying against someone who allegedly attacked her. Instead, she is buried in a cemetery where her children visit regularly and place the crafts they made at school on her grave.
The worst part of it all was that she saw it coming. But those who could protect her did not treat it with the urgency needed. They asked her to wait. But she ran out of time.