Shadow Minister for Equality, Civil Liberties and Children’s Rights Graziella Attard Previ told Parliament today that Malta’s equality budget remains insufficient, warning that paternalistic attitudes continue to hold women back despite economic growth and political claims of progress.

Citing fresh figures published by the National Statistics Office, Attard Previ said 3,798 people reported domestic violence or used related support services in 2024, with 76.75% being women. She said these numbers confirm that domestic violence “remains a harsh reality” for Maltese women.

Referring to the killing of Bernice Cilia, whose husband recently admitted to the crime, she said that while justice may appear to have been served, “nothing can bring Bernice back”, adding that her children will now grow up without their mother. She argued that victims deserve more than “beautiful words” in Parliament — they need concrete protections.

Attard Previ proposed the introduction of anger-management education and lessons on healthy relationships, mutual respect and gender equality within the school curriculum, warning that stereotypes — such as men needing to be “macho” and women “soft” — remain deeply rooted.

She urged government to increase the number of magistrates handling domestic violence cases and ensure adequate resources to prevent victims from waiting months or years for proceedings. She also called for a centralised monitoring system for protection orders, noting that the current fragmented system — split between courts, police and agencies — weakens enforcement.

Attard Previ expressed concern over repeated delays to the promised domestic violence hub in Imtarfa, after government had initially pledged five hubs. She appealed for the hub to open by the end of the year as promised.

She also proposed emergency barring orders allowing police to require aggressors to leave the home immediately, in line with the Istanbul Convention, arguing that survivors should not be forced to leave or to decide whether to forgive their aggressor. Prosecutions, she said, should proceed through the police once evidence is gathered.

Turning to the government’s proposal for tax cuts aimed at increasing birth rates, Attard Previ warned that women should not be made to feel obliged to have children. While families benefit from tax reductions, she said real equality requires stronger work-life balance measures, which government only implemented after being obliged to follow an EU directive driven by PN MEP David Casa.

Attard Previ concluded that domestic violence is a social plague affecting the whole country, and that effective policies must be implemented urgently to protect survivors and prevent further suffering.