The Malta Women's Lobby on Monday expresed its deep concern and sorrow over "yet another reported case of violence against women", a reference to a domestic incident involving Repubblika honorary president Robert Aquilina, who has since resigned the post. 

Without going into the merits of this case, the group said Monday, in all cases we underline the duty of the authorities to act swiftly and decisively to protect victims - irrespective of who the perpetrator may be.

In situations where a risk assessment indicates that a victim is at high risk, authorities have a clear and non-negotiable obligation to err on the side of caution. The protection of the victim must always come first, before any other consideration.

The law does not allow victims the privilege of being asked whether they want the aggressor back in the home.

On the contrary, it is often the victim who is asked whether she wants to go into a shelter, sometimes even being forced to leave the children behind-as though the onus is on her to leave, hide, and rebuild her life from scratch, while the perpetrator remains free and undisturbed. This approach is not only unjust, but also fundamentally flawed.

This exposes the urgent need to strengthen our legal and institutional frameworks. The lobby group called for: Legislative reform to place victim safety at the centre of all decisions, mandatory and continuous training for the judiciary and law enforcement, consistent and firm application of protective measures and policies that hold perpetrators to account and prioritise victim protection.