The recent tragic story of Eleanor Mangion Walker is a chilling reminder that there is an underlying sinister reality in our society. A reality which unfortunately is widely spread all over the globe. A reality which knows no boundaries of class, race or religion. It is sinister but its name – domestic violence – has become so familiar that to utter it hardly creates a stir.

Although there are a number of men who have been victims of this crime, statistics show clearly that by far the larger proportion of victims is made up of women, targets of the men who were meant to love them.

The latest EU statistics published by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, in a first-of-its-kind survey on violence against women in 2014, covers all 28 EU Member States. It is based on interviews with 42,000 women across the EU, who were asked about their experiences of physical, sexual and psychological violence. The statistics that emerge from this survey are shocking. One woman in three in the EU has experienced physical and/or sexual violence since the age of 15.

The same survey also shows that, in 2014, an estimated 13 million women in the EU have experienced physical violence while 3.7 million experienced sexual violence.

These, of course, are not just numbers. They are women, many of them mothers, who are made to live in shame, embarrassment and guilt. Violence takes place over a period of time and the women are made to suffer psychological consequences like depression, anxiety and lack of self-confidence. Unfortunately, a number of these women end up paying the ultimate price. Like Eleanor, they are killed.

Back in 2011 the Convention Against Violence Against Women, known as the Istanbul Convention, was promulgated. This convention became law in our country on 1st November 2014. And yet, to date this convention has not been implemented.

Minister Helena Dalli may have promised its full implementation but to date her promise has not yet materialized.

The convention focuses on various aspects of domestic violence including prevention (chapter 3), which also includes articles on awareness raising, education and training of professionals.

I strongly appeal to the authorities to fast track the implementation of the Istanbul Convention. Haste can save lives.

From Thatcher to May

While Malta was dealing with the brutal murder of a young beautiful mother, camera lenses in the United Kingdom were focusing on the second woman Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Theresa May. Of course these are early days for the new British Prime Minister but she does appear to be a no-nonsense leader who is determined to make her mark.

Despite the multiple surprises in British politics over the last several weeks, May seems to be following a deliberate strategy in her Cabinet appointments. And she’s shown she’s not afraid to shock everyone, as she has by appointing Boris Johnson Foreign Secretary.

I must say I find it very annoying when too much attention is given to May’s sense of fashion, particularly her choice of shoes. I don’t recall a single close-up of Cameron’s shoes, shirt or tie. But he is a man and, in politics, as in domestic violence, that does make a difference.