National safety deserves to be treated as the serious, over-arching matter that it is, rather than a topic that hits the headlines only after the next tragedy unfolds. It is a matter that covers how we invest in policing and community presence, how we plan our streets and public spaces, and how we educate an entire generation about respect and consent.

I was greatly concerned to read about a woman reporting an alleged act of sexual assault in Marsaskala last week, an act which luckily was interrupted by passersby. Unfortunately, the police were unsuccessful to locate the perpetrator, leaving the victim with no closure.

Every woman in this country has every God-given right to walk the streets unaccompanied, at any hour she chooses, without having to think about safety before she leaves the house. That should go without saying, yet the fact that we still get that odd 'what was she doing out at that time?' or 'why was she wearing that?', sheds a blindingly bright light on the bigger issue at hand, which is victim-blaming.

Because, safety cannot be reduced to more CCTV cameras, or more frequent police patrols in our towns. At its core, safety is primarily about a concerted educational effort, that reinforces a culture that appreciates and prioritises safety for everyone. If one of us isn't feeling safe, then, we all have a problem.

Too often the response to violence against women still lands, at least in part, on the woman herself. We continue to see instances of victim-blaming in Malta, subtle and not so subtle, in the questions people ask, the assumptions people make, and the way certain stories are discussed both online and in person.

Changing this requires structured education from an early age, in our schools and beyond, that builds a genuine culture of respect and shifts responsibility firmly onto perpetrators, where it has always belonged.

On Santa Marija day, another story hit the headlines, but this time, the woman in question wasn't so lucky as the country was reminded once again of exactly what is at stake, with yet another alleged murder shaking the nation.

Femicide remains a serious and present threat in Malta, which, it appears, we haven't even started to scratch the surface of understanding how to solve it. With every woman's life that is cut short, we get a glimpse into the suffering that is often hidden away behind thick walls, and behind even thicker social stigma.

We owe it to every woman in this country to move beyond the social stigma and towards sustained, structural action before the next tragedy strikes. That means better safety infrastructure, a swifter justice system that treats gender-based violence with the urgency and seriousness it demands, but most importantly an education system that values safety for everyone and teaches respect above all.

I send my deepest condolences to the loved ones of Charlotte Zammit, may they find solace at this hard time.