Date rape cases among young women and the development of good practices for support and prevention : Malta

Abstract

The Institute of Forensic Studies University of Malta is participating in a transnational study entitled “Date Rape Cases Among Young Women and the Development of Good Practices for Support and Prevention”, funded by the Daphne II Programme, of the European Commission and co-ordinated by the Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies, University of Nicosia, Cyprus.

The project involves five countries of the European Union including Cyprus, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania and Malta. Project partners are the Institute of Equality in Greece, Coalition for Gender Equality in Latvia, Women Issues Information Center in Lithuania, the Institute of Forensic Studies in Malta and the Mediterranean Institute for Gender Studies in Cyprus who are also the project co-ordinators and lead partners.

The main aim of the project is to investigate the incidence of date rape among female college students (aged 18-24) in the partner countries and assess the attitude, and level of awareness among beneficiaries and target groups. The project aims to promote awareness and make policy recommendations for prevention of date rape and support to victims.

The study adopts both a quantitative and qualitative approach: 150 women currently registered students at the University of Malta responded to an anonymous questionnaire; there were 2 focus groups with the participation of 20 female studens; and, 3 in-depth interviews with relevant institutional representatives: the Malta Police, Agenzija Appogg which falls under the Ministry for the Family and Social Solidarity and Merhba Bik which is a shelter for battered women and their children.

The study suggests that while women in Malta have achieved some progress in terms of rights, there persists a gulf between Malta’s proclaimed gender equality and women’s experience of a lived reality of strong cultural roles and male dominance: while sexual aggression is an unknown phenomenon in Malta, date rape it is alive and well and especially prevalent in young people’s relationships.

The study is a major contribution to understanding the nature of Malta’s social policies and the gaps that pertain to a traditional gender regime: to date no legal structure or policies for support, prevention or protection of victims of date rape exist in Malta. The phenomenon remains an unknown both among young people and relevant authorities: date rape? Ah, date rape. What is it?