Domestic violence against women in Malta : the problems encountered by victims in relation to police attitudes and sensitisation

Abstract

Every year, hundreds of women are criminally assaulted or abused by their closest relations or those with whom they live. Today, this phenomenon is being brought to light more than ever before in many countries, including Malta. This essay assesses how well police intervention is working with respect to one form of domestic violence, women battering. The author, a serving member of the Malta Police Force, draws and evaluates on the traumatic experiences and opinions of battered women about police reactions to domestic violence incidents in order to see what the police are doing to help these victims. The essay traces how historically, police policy and practice with regard to domestic violence on women have been shaped, and attempts to explore how improvement can be made to ensure a more sensitive and effective handling of cases, and a better understanding for the victims.