Two strong women hold a man down. One of them pins his torso while the other cuts through his throat with a dagger. Blood spurts out of his neck.

This was Judith and Holofernes, a painting by the celebrated Italian female artist Artemisia Gentileschi. The painting was a self-portrait. Judith, the woman cutting off Holofernes’s head, is Gentileschi herself. And Holofernes is the Italian painter Agostino Tassi who was hired by her father to give Gentileschi painting lessons but instead sexually abused her.

The painting was Gentileschi’s revenge on Tassi, using the only weapon she had – her paintbrush. When Gentileschi accused Tassi of rape, she was tortured in a Rome courtroom while Tassi looked on. Though still 18 years of age, Gentileschi was defiant. Again and again she accused Tassi of raping her.

Gentileschi went on to become the greatest female painter of the baroque age. She fought back against male violence that dominated the world she lived in with her painting. In Gentileschi’s Rome, practically all artists were male. They were rich, arrogant and could do almost anything they liked as long as they stayed in the pope’s good books.

And that is what Tassi did. He raped Gentileschi and got away with it because he had the pope’s protection. The most shocking part of the story is not that Tassi raped Gentileschi but that the pope protected the rapist and allowed the victim, Gentileschi, to be tortured while Tassi was let free.

Centuries later, another artist was also subjected to repeated sexual abuse over a period of three years. She was a member of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. She tried to seek help from the CEO of the orchestra, Sigmund Mifsud, but appeared to have got nowhere.

Instead, he allegedly ordered orchestra members not to speak about the abuse to the police, leading the victim to fear that violence would be used against her, and it is claimed he has tampered with evidence.

The victim also went to the minister to plead for help. But all Minister Owen Bonnici did was take some notes and hand them over to his permanent secretary Joyce Dimech. He simply referred the victim to the commissioner for domestic abuse but didn’t bother reporting the case to the police. Nor did he intervene to remove the CEO, a Labour Party candidate. He refused to answer questions sent by the media.

Reports were lodged with permanent secretary Dimech about abuse and bullying, manipulation and harassment. Members of the orchestra complained that Mifsud “made our life a living hell”. They claimed that Mifsud boasted that he was “untouchable” because he had the backing of former PM Joseph Muscat.

“If anyone disagreed with him, he or she was harassed and driven to the point where they had no option but to resign,” they insisted.

In fact, the MPO lost two renowned artistic directors within three years – Brian Schembri and Raoul Lay – both of whom fell out with Mifsud.

The victim was left to drown in her own anguish. Like Gentileschi, despite being the victim, she ended up ‘tortured’ and compelled to give up her dream of playing with the orchestra because of “extreme stress”. Meanwhile, her abuser simply looked on, protected by Mifsud, the permanent secretary and the minister.

Abela is protecting the perpetrators by shielding the minister who allowed the gender-based abuse to go on unchecked for years- Kevin Cassar

The abuser’s identity remained secret, protected by the court. Like Tassi, he was set free with a suspended sentence.

Meanwhile, Mifsud carried on as if nothing had happened. He too enjoyed the protection of the ‘pope’.

It was only after he was arraigned and denied bail that Mifsud was finally suspended on half-pay.

Malta’s current situation is identical to Gentileschi’s 17th- century Rome. Female artists are still subjected to sexual abuse while their male abusers do as they please and enjoy protection.

The most shocking part of the story is not that the sexual abuse occurred but that, for years, Bonnici oversaw a corrupt and rotten institution where abusers flourished and enjoyed impunity.

What is even more shocking is that, despite the harrowing details of abuse and bullying of orchestra members and the shameless coordinated attempts at cover-up involving the minister himself, Prime Minister Robert Abela expresses his trust in Bonnici.

Abela, who was so determined to protect the rights of women in the Prudente case, closes both eyes to the persistent and relentless abuse of women at the national orchestra. Far worse, he condones Bonnici’s gross failures of his basic responsibility of care and his attempts to kill the story.

Despite Mifsud’s alleged attempt to protect the abuser and his alleged tampering with evidence, he hasn’t been sacked. He’s still being paid by the taxpayer.

Despite Bonnici’s outrageous and potentially criminal negligence, the prime minister not only hasn’t sacked him but sticks his neck out for him.

Abela bragged that he wanted to step up the fight against gender-based violence but didn’t utter a single word in defence of the victims at the orchestra. He hasn’t denounced Bonnici’s twin disasters at the orchestra and the Manoel Theatre. Instead, Abela is defending Bonnici. He is protecting him.

Abela is not standing up against the abuse. He’s not defending the victims. He’s not sending a clear message that gender-based abuse will not be tolerated. He’s protecting the perpetrators by shielding the minister who allowed it all to go on unchecked for years.

Like Tassi, Bonnici watched as the victim was ‘tortured’ for three whole years. Like the pope, Abela extends his protection.

Abela’s failure to sack Bonnici is tacit approval of Bonnici’s rotten decisions and his abysmal negligence. But it is also a shocking revelation of where Abela stands – against the victims and solidly behind the perpetrators.