A Story of Violence – it could happen to you!
I am an individual, a leader, a mother, a wife and someone’s daughter. I have been made homeless as a result of theaccepted levels of Family Violence in Malta; numbers are at epidemic proportions and on the rise. I have no family left!
I arrived in Malta for an honest holiday, December 26th, 2012; after enduring 7 long years of police corruption, which eventually cost me my children.
Here in Malta I married a local, it happened fast because we fell in love and wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. I am sixteen years older than him (but love does not see age), which subjected me to discrimination by his family members and a community with an impoverished mentality and out dated practices; but not everyone is the same.
My husband subjected me to Domestic Violence as a result of infidelity, a crime that was supported by police corruption and some government officials.
After parting with my husband, I channelled my energies into operating a campaign off the streets on borrowed internet time raising awareness of a problem that is neglected, like the women in this male dominated culture; Domestic Violence.
I am pushing for a rehabilitation centre that I am qualified to operate by way of experience to combat the problem, where I will first need an office to continue my campaign for community benefit; but with deaf ministers and a blind community at large, the numbers will continue to raise – a public health issue and I will continue my fight.
While sleeping on park benches and public access areas, I have refused befriending members of the community who are not law abiding citizens and who come from diverse religious backgrounds ...and I have turned to God instead. I have taken a zero tolerance on street crime and refrained from such temptations (never settling for the path of least resistance for sake of money); not even in times of great need when my belly was empty, my body was wet and cold and my feet, sore with bleeding blisters.
I AM THE EVIDENCE of a system that is stale and does not work; I have been failed by a ministry that boasts Social Solidarity, who (may I remind everyone) employed my husband for the LEAP Project on the condition that he gets rid of me first at a time when family violence against me was at peak levels – in accordance with my husband’s own admissions; it’s not unreasonable to assume that all the services who fall under their umbrella were too busy playing favourites instead of assisting me on just terms, a clear breech of my human rights, for example:
1. The Housing Authority rejected my urgent application twice and therefore, refused me the opportunity to be housed in a property that my husband and I once occupied, which was still vacant and perfectly livable; my appeal and calling a truce, in the spirit of resolving the matter, letting by-gons be by-gons went answered.
2. Their Social Worker, upon disclosing the levels of domestic abuse my husband subjected me to, (me as his wife not his whore) told me that it’s all in my head but still had the cheek to suggest a safe-house; the worst thing you can tell someone who is experiencing abuse and a clear breech of my human rights, once again.
3. Another social worker employed by the Ministry for Social Solidarity, sat in the chair of a person who was in the position to authorise my food vouchers at the office of the community chest fund, and refused to process my application (and refused me any vouchers) without counselling me first, which I did not agree to, as I did not deem necessary in order to put food in my mouth (a human right); and therefore, I refused her communication and left my application on the desk (walking out the door) and went hungry until the churches started opening their doors.
4. The YMCA began creating an illegal file in my name with every visit I made for clean clothes, which I helped myself out of the donation tub; I did not ask them for accommodation, as being a whistle blower, I cannot possibly be placed in shared accommodation with troubled teens, where there are likely to be problems that are swept under the carpet to keep reputations intact and I clearly communicated this with them – but they kept coming up with excuses to justify this file that they so badly wanted to hold against me, which falls in favour of my husband; I was refused my right to view it and therefore, I demanded they delete it and refrain from using it; I was also recently subjected to abuse and profanities by YMCA staff while attempting to collect some clean clothing after wearing the same one’s for six months, who out of spite a staff worker refused me (as a homeless person) the opportunity for a clean change of clothes; a clear breech of my human rights and their policies.
5. Dar Merhba Bik refused me entry into their shelter, as they were full; but even when vacancies arise, they were not willing to accommodate me without a social worker governed by the Ministry of Social Solidarity – the same ministry that broke my marriage, in accordance to my husband’s own admissions (Mr Bradley Agius).
6. Dar Qalb ta Gesu, will not take short term tenants, do not have a crises intervention and are simply short of staff. They insist on a police report, which the MSIDA Police failed to give me upon my request due to no current incidents of abuse and the bruising was out-dated
7. The MSIDA Police told me that the incidents were simply too old to file a report against my husband, who was working for the said ministry; they were talking to me at the same time as holding an open line over the phone to M’Dai Hospital conversing in Maltese, saying something about a crazy person needing to be picked up urgently – I assumed they were not taking about me but I cannot say for certain as I had a hard time picking up every word, spoken very quickly.
8. Dar Theresa in Valletta (an emergency shelter for women, newly opened by the Catholic Church) insisted on a referral from a social worker, despite having vacancies; they did give me the opportunity to gain one from the Director of The Catholic Church as an alternative; who could not give it...
9. The Director of the Catholic Church in Valletta politely informed me of his reason for not being able to give such a referral after explaining my current circumstances, he said it was because he doesn’t know me and therefore, would have nothing to write; which stands to reason in a sense.
10. Appoch said they cannot guarantee housing, they can however, place an application to the Housing Authority on my behalf, which was not deemed necessary, as I have already done that. They also offered to re-construct an application on my behalf to enable me welfare benefits, despite not qualifying; which were I come from, constitutes fraud (on government documentation) and I am simply not willing to break the law – ‘no body checks’ they said! ‘If I don’t qualify, then I don’t qualify and that’s that’, I replied, nor do I want to be dependent on tax payers hard earned dollars – a system that is already under strain;;; then they had the cheek to circulate phone calls informing related services that I don’t want their assistance, who (they) have done everyone in their power to help me (according to their turn of events); a breech of my human rights. This information was confirmed by a local church that offers emergency relief to the poor and destitute on a regular basis; which for obvious reasons I cannot name and I will not as promised in God’s name.
11. ...and the sisters for all other alternative accommodation, said they cannot do anything, as they have social workers sitting on top of them!
12. All the services mentioned above (except for NGO) are on very good terms with my husband, as a result of his initial employment with The Ministry of Social Solidarity; all who fall under their umbrella.
A PROPOSAL TO THE PRIME MINISTER OF MALTA TO FOLLOW...
