A woman who lost her daughter in a diving accident is planning to turn her family home into a shelter for male victims of domestic violence.

The plan is to provide a temporary home for abused men who are often ashamed to speak up, feel they have no one to turn to and are scared they will lose custody of their children.

Mary and Christine Gauci.

Behind the initiative is Mary Gauci, president of Happy Parenting – Malta (for Happier Children), who lost her daughter in a diving accident last January.

“The tributes I received following Christine’s death motivated me to pick up from where she left off and increase my work in the community,” Gauci told Times of Malta.

The NGO raises awareness about parental alienation and promotes co-parenting.

Christine Gauci died after finding herself in trouble while diving at Mġarr ix-Xini.

The 35-year-old was a member of the Armed Forces of Malta with a passion for scuba diving. She was described by those who knew her as “kind-hearted” and “with a heart of gold”.

Her mother recalled being “flooded” by such tributes following the incident, realising that her daughter often kept quiet about her altruistic deeds.

In an attempt to keep the memory of her daughter alive, a statue is being sculpted by Charlo Spiteri Magri, which Frans Muscat will turn into a bronze-coloured fibre-glass monument. 

It will be placed just outside her house, Dar Christine, in Gozo, which is now being transformed into a shelter.

In 2018, police data showed that nearly one in four domestic violence reports were lodged by men.

“The Happy Parenting NGO increasingly witnesses cases of fathers who have been completely cut off from their children who, in turn, are told that their dads do not love them,” Gauci said.

“Apart from parental alienation, others end up with no roof over their head, and even sleep in common areas or on the roofs of apartment blocks.”

Her own loss, she said, had brought her to a better understanding of the loss that parents experience when they are not allowed to see their children. Reliving memories, she recalled how keen Christine had been to join the army. In 2005, she was the only woman to be accepted for enlistment with C ‘SD’ (Special Duties) Company. 

As she progressed in her career, she went on to train with the British Army and later specialised in air defence. 

Christine had a passion for scuba diving.

In 2010, she was promoted to Lance Bombardier (British Army) and in 2011 she was deployed to Afghanistan, where she was decorated with the Afghanistan medal on her return from the tour of duty. 

She returned to Malta and re-joined the AFM. Sadly, results showing that she had passed the local bombardier tests were out after her death.

“Christine would have been over the moon,” her mother said, remembering her concern when her daughter first told her she was joining the army.

“But she was so keen on it and so dedicated that I backed her up, even when she took a year off to sit for British Army exams.” Soon after Christine’s death, her former colleagues reached out to tell Gauci that her daughter was the one who kept everyone’s spirits up while on duty abroad.

More information about the NGO on happyparentingmalta@gmail.com or the Facebook page Happy Parenting Malta For Happier Children.