24/7 service
The third hub for victims of domestic and gender-based violence in Mtarfa has opened its doors. This will complement the work carried out by the Hub in Santa Lucia and the Hub in Gozo, so that now this specialised service will also be provided from the North of the country. This follows works carried out to ensure that the building can offer an adequate environment to those seeking help, with the service now being provided twenty-four hours a day, all year round, by a multidisciplinary team. As well as offering various support and professional assistance services from officers of the Police Force and from professionals trained in this field.
With these hubs, reports of domestic violence have increased, as the service is more accessible, sensitive and prepared for difficult situations.
Minister Byron Camilleri recalled that it was in 2020 that this Government started a specialized unit for this purpose, which led to this unit starting to work from hubs like these across the country.
“We wanted the service provided to victims to be sensitive and with the knowledge that was needed in such delicate cases. That is why we went down the path of specialization. You have, for example, a team in the district, in the police station, that is carrying out the general work of the body; from reports of all kinds, to involvement with the community to maintain security and maintain work on prevention, to people involved in witnessing and in the prosecution of various crimes, parties and a hundred other things. Then in all this, a person who has been through a case of domestic violence can also come. We began to see that it was impossible to provide the level of support that we would like to be given. And that is why we made the change.”
Minister Camilleri reiterated that “that was why a specialized unit was created that works with a multi-stakeholder approach. Something I strongly believe in. Where you not only find trained and specialized police, but you also find professionals who work hand in hand. That is the service we provide in a hub like this. We started at the depot, then we expanded to Santa Lucia, Gozo and now here in Mtarfa. This while every police officer continues to receive training on the subject both during recruitment and in-service. But then they are referred to a hub like this.”
While reiterating the work that will never stop in this sector, he concluded that “no matter what we do, there is a culture that we all need to embrace in society. The way we address each other with respect, even when we disagree. Respect for women. Working for equality. Yes, respect remains the best prevention tool where all of us in society can have a part to play.”
In fact, the work against domestic violence has not only been strengthened with the establishment of this section, which today has 70 officers and the opening of these hubs in which more than 3,500 people have been assisted, but also with the establishment of the Victim Support Agency which assists victims of crime. This while the panic alarm service for victims of domestic violence has been launched which has already been used by 105 people. A new law has also made it possible for people in a relationship to be given information about whether their partner has been found guilty of domestic violence. This is in addition to other work that is carried out on a daily basis.
Parliamentary Secretary for Equality and Reforms, Rebecca Buttigieg, stressed that, “The reality of domestic violence demands concrete and continuous action. This hub in Mtarfa is clear evidence of the Government’s commitment to bringing services closer to communities, providing safe and dignified spaces for victims and strengthening a coordinated response between the police, social workers and all the agencies involved. It is in this way that we can turn statistics into action and make the dream of a future without violence a tangible reality.”
Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà said that in the first five years since the Gender-Based & Domestic Violence Unit was established, we have recorded an increase of almost 70% in reports of domestic violence from 1325 reports in 2019 to 2225 in 2024. This increase was not random, but a direct result of a more professional, sensitive and empathetic service, as well as of continuous investment in knowledge and education. “It is worth noting that, after five consecutive years of increase in reports at a national level, in 2025 we saw a marginal decrease of 2%. On the other hand, in the first full year of the service in Gozo, reports increased by 30%. I believe that this reflects the same evolution that we have undergone in Malta, evidence that we are concretely attacking the dark figure of crime.”
He said that with the opening of this Hub, the Police Force is continuing to strengthen the service that was launched in October 2020 and which today includes hubs in Santa Lucia and Rabat, Gozo. This is so that professional assistance, protection and Police intervention are accessible, coordinated and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, both in Malta and Gozo.
Professor Marceline Naudi expressed her satisfaction that today in Malta we have places like these and that she believes that these hubs are very important because they provide the necessary environment for victims.
