Only one in three victims of sexual assault, who, this year, sought support from an NGO that specialised in the matter, reported their case to the police, data has revealed.
The Care for Victims of Sexual Assault (CVSA) service – run by Victim Support Malta in collaboration Social Solidarity Ministry – this year supported 58 victims of sexual assault, 53 of whom were women, Kyra Borg who heads the agency, said.
Of the 58 victims, 20 reported the crime to the police and 18 spoke up years after the abuse occurred.
“Through our service, we have noticed that many cases go unreported and that many victims are very scared to report,” Borg said.
“Victims often don’t report due to a number of reasons, some being due to experiencing a deep sense of guilt, shame, fear and re-traumatisation.
“In addition to this, the legal process is a long and thorough one which tends to push victims away from reporting the incident,” Borg added.
The reality of re-traumatisation emerged in an interview with a woman who, earlier this month, opened up to Times of Malta about her ordeal.
The woman was raped at work in June 2020, metres away from her two terrified daughters, who spent nearly an hour listening to their mother’s agonising screams.
Her aggressor was peeled off her by two police officers who answered her call for help. Covered in bruises, with dislodged teeth and ripped hair, she was left incontinent for months and is still dealing with the trauma.
In the interview, the woman said investigators only spoke to her briefly after the assault.
Despite the presence of witnesses, and photos of the injuries, corroborated by a hospital report, she said she could not understand why she had not been asked by the investigating officer for her version of events.
This left the woman is a state of suspended trauma.
Last week, Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà said the police inspector who failed to properly investigate the case was facing disciplinary action.
Meanwhile the woman’s lawyer, Women’s Rights Foundation chair Lara Dimitrijevic, said that such an approach resulted in victimising victims who lived with the lingering trauma.
“Several [victims] are not offered support and kept abreast of the investigation of their case,” she said.
“Those who do file a report often find that the case drags on for a long time and they are approached to recount the assault in court months later, reopening the wounds.
“In this manner, the same people who should be protecting them are
re-victimising the victims.”
Recent figures issued by the police show that, between January 2017 and August this year, they received 600 reports of sexual offences, 104 of which were classified as rape cases.
Multiple reports may have been filed by the same victim.
But this could be the tip of the iceberg as the NGO’s figures show that two out of three victims are not reporting to the police and a third of victims are also waiting for years to speak up.
Victims of such crimes often do not speak up straightaway if the abuse happened during childhood.
In fact, for years now, several organisations, including the Commissioner for Children, has been calling for the removal of time-barring on offences involving the sexual abuse of children.
Removing the limits would help to get justice for child abuse victims who know their abusers and take years to gain the courage to speak out.
By laws, crimes are time-barred for several years after the child turns 18. The period varies between two and 20 years, depending on the severity of the case and the penalty associated with it.
“There are also various reasons as to why victims don’t speak up right away,” Borg explained.
“The perpetrators of historic cases are often close family members who instill a lot of fear in victims. Although they were abused, there is also a sense of loyalty towards the family and a fear of being rejected or misunderstood.
“Another reason is that victims often are not well-informed of what sexual assault and rape, is so they feel unsure about speaking up. They fear being judged, blamed and misunderstood.”
Seeking support?
The CVSA assists sexual assault and rape victims. Support is given through social work services, psychological services, legal representation or consultation and liaison with a hospital and the police. The team operates on a 24-hour a day, seven-day-a-week on call basis from Mater Dei Hospital.
Victims of sexual assault can call at any time in order to access the following services: medical check-up, police intervention if they wish to file a report, social work services, free psychological services or counselling and free legal representation.
What is sexual assault?
A person is a victim of sexual assault if they have been involved in any type of sexual activity without giving their permission or consent.
Sexual assault can take different forms but one thing remains the same: it is never the victim’s fault.
Some forms of sexual assault include fondling or unwanted sexual touching; forcing sexual acts, such as oral sex or penetrating the perpetrator’s body; penetration of the victim’s body, also known as rape; attempted rape; sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and unwanted sexting.
If you have suffered sexual assault, whether it was recently or not, and would like to access the Care for Victims of Sexual Assault (CVSA) service, get in touch by contacting Victim Support Malta on +2122 8333 or send an email on info@victimsupport.org.mt.