Much has been said about Chantelle Chetcuti’s cold-blooded murder. Many words of condemnation have also been repeatedly uttered after each and every tragic death of women whose lives have been prematurely snuffed out by femicide; their faces seared in our minds, each replaying a horrific end.

Decades have passed, with meetings, conferences, protests and media articles following each case. Those my age will recall how we repeatedly met with renewed resolve and hope, only for the enthusiasm to fizzle away into a talking shop without effective action. 

The same conversation is repeated each time… words, more words, and very little action! Until another femicide occurs and society is shaken to the bone, then the same pattern follows.

 I must admit, we were all very enthusiastic when Malta signed the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention, preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. We were even more hopeful with the enactment of the corresponding legislation. But while legislation is important, we all know that there are many other factors that have to be addressed.

Awareness, education, information, training, empowerment, the right setting, attitudes, proper life skills and values are components for the much-needed change in our society, to ensure this scourge is addressed at its core.

We have renowned Maltese experts who are recognised on a pan-European setting, among them Marcelline Naudi who has been appointed president of the Council of Europe Group of Experts on Action Against Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO). 

Naudi was also the catalyst who brought together an extensive group of European academics, experts and practitioners for many years in a cost-action to specifically conduct research on femicide. 

They were responsible for finalising a whole body of research, with a set of practical recommendations that could be implemented on a European level.

At the time, we had believed that then European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker would uphold such recommendations and influence change not only in Malta but across Europe. Sadly, it was not to be.

Not even FEMM – the EP’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality – succeeded in influencing change. 

I still remember addressing them at the European Parliament and encouraging them to uphold the crucial recommendations that Naudi and her team had submitted.  

Here, I have to commend the University of Malta for being among the few to take heed and set up an observatory on femicide. 

Hope is finally crystallising in the form of last week’s news that a specific unit within the police corp was being set up. 

Until another femicide occurs and society is shaken to the bone, then the same pattern follows

However, much more has to be done by all relevant stakeholders, including the judiciary, the police, the psycho-social and medical professionals, educators and civil society organisations.   

Our educational system is of particular importance, especially in empowering children as we need to build resilience, and facilitate the crucial mental and cultural leap away from a patriarchal society.  

We also need to make everyone aware that children too are victims of such violence. Many a time they suffer in silence and this has to be addressed.

Children have, in fact, been described as the forgotten victims of violence at home. This scourge does not discriminate between nationalities, ethnicity or status – it has been reported that a staggering 176 million children under the age of five witness domestic violence. 

Children need stability at home; a safe haven where they can find refuge when life becomes difficult. They need healthy routines and adults around them who can support and nurture them.

Yet many face a different reality. They are exposed to domestic violence and the consequences remain with them long after the violence or the exposure stops. Violence, especially at home, remains one of the biggest challenges of our time. It remains a taboo, when we need openness and honest confrontation.

I hope that GREVIO’s visit to Malta this week and the series of meetings with civil society representatives, the justice ministry, the home affairs ministry, national security, law enforcers, and the Equality Parliamentary Secretary will reap the much-desired effective action and necessary outcomes.

We need to take action that addresses this violence and protects all victims including children. This has to be holistic and ensure words are translated into concrete actions. Effective action is long overdue.

Former President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca is the president of Eurochild, a children’s rights advocacy network with 176 members in 34 countries.