The number of people using public domestic violence services in Malta has increased by 1,000 people when compared to 2016.
The 2021 Annual Report published by the Commission on Gender-Based Violence and Domestic Violence on Monday revealed that over 2,900 victims made use of domestic violence services in 2020, up from 1,800 in 2016.
The number of female victims who made use of the services in 2020 was stood at 2,309. There was also an increase in the number of male victims over the course of four years, with 296 male victims using the services in 2016. The figure for 2020 stood at 610 male victims.
Over 100 perpetrators have made use of domestic violence services, the majority being males, including the 'Stop' programme.
The government is committed to increasing services for domestic and gender-based violence, Parliamentary Secretary for Reforms and Equality Rebecca Buttigieg said at the launch of the annual report.
The implementation of Malta's second national strategy on gender-based violence and domestic violence is among the services currently being reinforced to address issues of domestic violence, and make sure that the government recognizes domestic violence not as an individual problem, but recognizes the numbers and its severity, Buttigieg said.
"There has also been an increase in the number of reports, and whilst this is not a pleasant thing to hear, we are seeing more victims speaking up and filing reports," Buttigieg said.
Buttigieg also said that the government's aim is to invest in the early prevention of domestic and gender-based violence, through several campaigns and awareness-raising projects.
She said that the Commission on Gender-Based Violence and Domestic Violence has worked on several projects to address domestic violence and gender-based violence.
The pilot project under the name 'Safe Dates' which was launched last December was also spoken about. It is an evidence-based dating violence prevention programme piloted with Year 10 students in four secondary state schools during PSCD lessons.
It aims to evaluate whether the implementation of Safe Dates is effective in changing beliefs and attitudes on dating abuse among youth, Buttigieg said. She said that 20% of victims of domestic violence were under 30 years of age and so the project would educate the next generation on the signs of abuse.
Among the several projects and services initiated, Buttigieg mentioned the new specialized unit within the Police Force which deals with domestic and gender-based violence, an increase in services within the Victim Support agency, the launch of Malta's Observatory on Femicide, special training for police, social workers as well as members of NGOs, and educational and awareness campaigns on social media.
The awareness campaigns were that of 'We Are All Human,' bringing awareness on same-sex intimate partner violence, and 'My Disability Does Not Mean Consent For Abuse,' which tackles violence against people with disabilities.
Commissioner on Gender-Based Violence and Domestic Violence Audrey Friggieri said that important work has been done and must be continued. She said that debates must be further stimulated over the topic to continue to raise awareness.