TMID Editorial: Tackling violence in the home
The murder of Nicolette Ghirxi has reignited the debate about domestic violence.Ghirxi was murdered in her own apartment last Sunday week, with her former partner later being killed by the police in a stand-off in St Julian’s. Ghirxi’s mu
The murder of Nicolette Ghirxi has reignited the debate about domestic violence.
Ghirxi was murdered in her own apartment last Sunday week, with her former partner later being killed by the police in a stand-off in St Julian’s. Ghirxi’s murder was the latest in a string of incidents involving violence against women, and has again reopened the wounds of a society that has been unable to address the phenomenon.
A magisterial inquiry was launched to cover the two incidents, while the government has said that the Police Complaints Board has been tasked with conducting an analysis into the whole situation.
Ghirxi’s family has called for an independent inquiry into the facts leading up to that fateful Sunday, and its request has been supported by various bodies and organisations. Many statements have been issued to demand better vigilance, more police presence and attention to reports of domestic violence, and an overall awareness to cases when women seek protection from their partner, or ex-partner.
According to the latest statistics, there were more than 2,000 reports of domestic violence in 2023, and the trend seems to be growing, given that in 2020 there were 1,645 reports, 1,741 in 2021 and 1,828 in 2002. Naturally, the rise in population could be a contributor to the escalation. The great majority of the reports were filed by women.
Violence in the home is not a new phenomenon. Thankfully, over the years more and more women are finding enough courage to speak up or seek help. The government and NGOs who work on such cases should continue to encourage women in such situations to reach out for assistance before the situation degenerates.
Without making reference to this particular case, it must be said however that it does not always happen that the response to such reports of violence are as appropriate as they should be. We know that efforts have been made in the last years to put police officers in a better condition to tackle such situations, giving them the necessary training to treat reports of domestic violence with delicacy and efficiency.
Let us remember that, very often, apart from the women, there are children involved in the story, which makes it all the more vital that any report that is filed about domestic violence is given the deserved attention.
What is sadder is to note that there are some people in our society who behave like barbarians, angering the rest of the genuine society that seeks to find ways and means through which such incidents are not repeated. We are referring to the person or persons who vandalised a bench dedicated to victims of domestic violence at the University of Malta.
Their behaviour is shameful, and it is hoped that if they are caught they get the punishment they deserve, not only for the material damage that they caused, but also for the emotional pain inflicted by defacing the memory of people who suffered. Hurting the memory of women who were victims of domestic violence is reprehensible, and should be treated with the utmost severity.
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