Keep a lookout for violence in your neighbourhood and flag any unusual behaviour, Commissioner for Domestic Violence Audrey Friggieri is urging.

“If you’ve never offered your help or reported violence, now is the time to do so. If you suspect that a colleague or relative is the victim of domestic violence, message them, you can save a life,” she said on Wednesday during a live Facebook session about helping those who are spending quarantine with their abuser.

“Do not remain silent, if you or anyone you know needs support, reach out to us, we are online.”

Many were seeking refuge from the COVID-19 spread at home, but not everyone was safe at home, the commissioner warned.

Spending all day with the perpetrator had increased some people's risk of abuse and decreased their access to support, Friggieri said.

She urged people to use the Violet service, an anonymous and confidential online service for victims of gender-based violence, which is accessible Monday to Sunday 24/7 in English and Maltese, on Tuesdays between 2 and 4pm in Italian, on Wednesdays between 2 and 4pm in Serbian, and on Thursdays between 2 and 4pm in French. 

Asked whether, during these self-quarantine days, perpetrators were still being made to leave the house, in line with the Istanbul Convention, Friggieri said this was at the discretion of the courts.

If the police officer and social worker carrying out the risk assessment believe that the risk is high for the victim, they contact the magistrate on duty, who then decides whether the perpetrator should be forced out of the house.

The commission, she said, was aware of instances where abusers had been forced out of their home in the past weeks. 

Log on to www.vso.org.mt or look up the Facebook page Violet Support Online.