The first hub for victims of domestic violence and gender-based violence has started operating. The regional centre, located in Santa Luċija, operates twenty-four hours a day, throughout the year, a government statement said Saturday. The centre is equipped to provide various support and professional assistance services by experts, members of the police force, and trained personnel in this field, as well as from various entities.

The establishment of this first hub followed that of the Gender Based and Domestic Violence Unit within the Police Force in November 2020. This unit is made up of trained officers, along with other professionals providing services to victims of domestic violence and gender-based violence. This hub offers a more suitable and humane environment than the one previously located at the Floriana Depot. The hub operates daily with the continuous presence of the Police Force, risk assessors, and other professionals.

A second hub is also planned to open in the northern part of Malta.

During a visit to the Santa Luċija centre, the Minister for the Home Affairs Byron Camilleri and the Parliamentary Secretary for Reforms and Equality Rebecca Buttigieg were briefed on the procedures undertaken in cases of domestic violence. The Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà was also present during this visit. Activists in the sector, including Professor Marceline Naudi, were also present, along with other professionals specialising in these areas. They observed how the centre provides a much more suitable environment and greater privacy for victims, allowing them to give their testimony away from the presence of the aggressor.

Camilleri said that significant progress has been made in the last three years in addressing domestic violence issues, with increased human resources allocated to the Police Force's domestic violence and gender-based violence section. Collaboration with other stakeholders has also been established to open the first hub for victims of domestic violence.

Buttigieg said that addressing the issue of domestic violence requires collective action from various entities. She said that this hub is an example of the synergy between the Commissioner for Gender-Based Violence and Domestic Violence, the police, and the foundation for social services, among others.

Gafà praised the professional and empathetic quality of the service provided by the police to victims of domestic violence, noting an increase in the number of abuse reports, indicating growing awareness of this social issue.

Naudi, a lecturer at the University of Malta and an activist against violence against women, appreciated the new environment in the hub, especially the fact that it will be staffed by four risk assessors every day throughout the year.

In addition to this new hub, victims of domestic violence can still go to the General Police Headquarters to report domestic violence and gender-based violence cases. There are also professionals and social workers working alongside specially trained police officers in this section. This unit investigates every case of domestic violence and provides information to victims about existing support services based on their specific situation.

This will continue until the new hub in the northern part of Malta is concluded. The centre is located at 2 Dawret it-Torri, Santa Luċija.