Proposal Mr Muscat TrentEsta - Final Edited001

1 T RENT ESTA:
A proposal to The Government ofMalta for Europe’s first rehabilitation centrefor
Women and Children ofDomestic Violence
By: Anne Agius (Gelicrisio) –March, 2015
http://voicebohx.wix.com/anne
‘T R E N T E S T A’
A Proposal for Europe’s First Rehabilitation Centre for
Women and Children of Domestic Violence
(...because to Violence Against Women Malta, Let’s Say NO MORE!)
Contact Person: Anne Agius (Gelicrisio)
Professional Title: Director of Business Management (and Home Affairs)
Email (Primary): voicebohx@gmail.com
Email (Secondary): ag12@y7mail.com
Website (1): http://voiceohx.wix.com/anne
Website (2): http://voicebohx.wix.com/campaign-night
Linked-in Profile: https://au.linkedin.com/in/anneagius
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VoiceBohx
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anna.agius.144
Tumbler: http://clearcreationkitten.tumblr.com/
Blog.com: http://anneagiusgelicrisio.blog.com
Branded: http://anne-agius-gelicrisio.branded.me/
Other: http://cougarclub33.wix.com/courgar-club

2 T RENT ESTA:
CONTENTS: (Page 2)
Contact Information Page 1
1.00 Objective Page 3
1.10 Mission Statement Page 3
1.20 Domestic Violence Defined Page 3
1.30 The Cycle of Abuse Page 4
1.40 Breaking the Cycle Page 4
2.10 Executive Summary Page 6
3.10 Education Page 7
3.20 Background Information and Justification Page 8
3.30 Domestic Violence in Adulthood Page 9
Incidents – 3.34; 3.33; 3.32; 3.31 Page 13
4.10 Melanie’s Story – 1999 Page 15
4.20 The Church Speech Page 18
4.30 The Girl Next Door Page 20
5.10 Legal Exposure Page 22
5.20 Human Rights and Domestic Violence Page 23
6.10 Shelter Services in Malta Page 24
6.20 Surviving Domestic Violence in Malta Page 26
7.10 Resources Required… Page 28
7.20 Suggested Premises… Page 30
7.30 Estimated Yearly Budget… Page 31
8.10 Monitoring and Evaluation Page 31
8.20 Reporting Page 32
8.30 Time Frame Page 32
9.10 The Bigger Picture Page 32
10.10 References Page 33
11.10 Credits Page 33
12.10 A Letter to the Prime Minister Page 33
12:12 Add On Pages; Floor Plan, Equipment &Accessories Page 34

3 T RENT ESTA:
1.00 OBJECTIVE:
Totransform gender power inequalities, promote safer families and respectful
relationships – for the prevention of violence against women and their children.
1.10MISSION STATMENT:
Giving survivors of Domestic Violence a voice, protection of life and the right to
safety; taking measures to build up the women (and children) affected and increase
the possibility for control over their own lives.
We can never let reference to traditions, culture or histories legitimize
violence against women.
1.20 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DEFINED
Physical Violence:
Physical violence ranges from ‘just a slap in the face’ to sexual abuse all the way to
manslaughter, attempted murder and murder. It includes any form of abuse, such as
pushing, kicking, pulling hair, burning and wounding with weapons. This may cause
injuries such as bruises, contusions, lacerations, teeth knocked out, fractures or cuts.
Injuries due to the abuse are often found on the head, neck, throat, breast and lower
abdominal regions women who are being abused by violent partners also during
pregnancy, may result in complications or miscarriage.
Psychological Violence:
 Isolation from friends, family and other supportive social networks
 Threats, bullying and intimidation
 Harassment, persecution, terror and stalking
 Insults, humiliation, defamation
 Economic violence, abuse of dependency situations
 Damage to property, cruelty topets
Sexual Violence:
A term which encompasses a wide variety of abuses, including rape, sexual threats,
exploitation, humiliation, assaults, molestation, domestic violence, incest,
involuntary prostitution (sexual bartering), torture, and attempted rape. Sexual
abuse manifests itself in acts or threats of physical intrusion of a sexual nature,
whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. This includes, but not
limited to: attempted or committed rape, any forced and non-consensual sexual act,
as well as sexual behaviour that the person on the receiving end finds humiliating
and degrading.

4 T RENT ESTA:
1.30 The Cycle of Abuse
Abuse often escalates in frequency and intensity. It also follows a cyclic pattern,
which can be confusing for the women on the receiving end and which eventually
erodes self esteem and sense of personal power. The cycle begins with excuses, ends
with abusive episodes, and is repetitive.
Excuses: after an abusive episode, the abuser and victim both “explain away” the
problem.
Honeymoon Period: things seem to be going very well. When things are “great”
they are really “great” – gifts, apologies, positive feelings, etc.
Routine: a return to routine life around the home and at work.
Tension: tension begins to build and the abuser begins to show signs of irritability,
anger, impatience, frustration, etc. The victim recognizes these signs and begins to
feel a familiar need to “walk on eggshells”
Trigger: something sets off the abuser, often not easily identified or based in
reality.
The victim’s self-esteem and confidence drops, and the pattern repeats itself.
1.40 Breaking the Cycle
Few people identify themselves as abusers or victims.
Many are silenced by shame, fear of retaliation from the abuser, or ignorance
about domestic abuse.
Abuse does not always show up as broken bones, cuts, scrapes. Abusers may
minimize their behaviour or blame the victim for provoking them; when things are
“going well” it may be easier to deny the abuse.
Furthermore:
Addressing and recognizing domestic violence is difficult and sensitive because of its
consequences; breaking the silence on domestic violence may also dismantle the
family as a unit.
Toillustrate, rape within marriage was not punished as rape in Norway until 1974. In
other countries rape within marriage became a crime only as late as the 1990s and
some countries in Europe still do not recognize rape within marriage as a criminal
offense.
The lives of women and children and the risks they face simply do not receive the
same amount of attention in public life as those of men.

5 T RENT ESTA:
Effective protection against domestic violence also requires a proactive approach.
The seriousness of domestic violence can only be fully grasped by taking into account
the way in which domestic violence often affects the person on the receiving end, in
terms of their security and freedom it affects all areas of her life and the long terms
consequences of such violence.
The traditional incident-specific approach in criminal law can perhaps to some
degree explain why the level of punishment has not, for example, been proportionate
to the harm which domestic violence causes to the person on the receiving end of the
abuse.
The special relationship between the offender and his partner, presents
some dilemmas, which may have affected efforts to investigate and
prosecute domestic violence.
Lacking knowledge of the magnitude and the harmful consequences of domestic
violence may also partly account for the silence on domestic violence, this affects the
way domestic violence is treated in all sectors of the community.
Although domestic violence is considered a crime in most legal systems, reporting
levels are still low, the indifference by police and judicial authorities has still not
entirely disappeared and the tendency to blame the women for not leaving or picking
the wrong husband is still present.
This suggests for example that our understanding of ‘privacy’ still affects the way we
speak about and priorities domestic violence.
It might be argued that a restraining order jeopardizes the offender’s right to privacy.
This presumes, however, that we take for granted that the human rights of the
offender include a right to visit someone whom this person has abused or threatened
to abuse.
If we extend the rights of the offender this far it may very well be claimed that the
human rights legitimise and excuse harm rather than protect individuals from harm.
The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
has stated that the perpetrator’s rights cannot supersede the victim’s human right to
life and to physical and mental integrity.
A restraining order combined with electronic monitoring of the aggressor’s
movements, is one way of stopping an offender. What’s more important is the
message it gives to the wider community; such measure is a question of attitudes
within the police and prosecuting authority.
Breaking the silence on domestic violence presupposes that we rethink
and challenge the meaning of old structures, distinctions and ideas
which have contributed to shielding domestic violence from public
attention – the family as a sacred unit, the private, the public, power
and gender. We can never let reference to traditions, culture or
histories legitimize violence against women.

6 T RENT ESTA:
2.10 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The 'Bring It On' Campaign was established to raise awareness for children and
women in this country who are experiencing Domestic Violence and what's worse,
suffering in silence.
Violence against women and specifically gender based violence is an extensive
Human Rights Abuse that we can no longer afford to overlook; 42,000 women across
28 member states of the European Union were asked about their experiences of
physical, sexual and psychological violence, including incidence of intimate partner
violence.
What emerges is a picture of extensive abuse that affects many women’s lives but is
systematically under reported to authorities (a) in fear of not being believed and (b)
in fear of not finding the help after reporting incidents of abuse; there is still a lack of
awareness. Only 14% of women reported their most serious incident of intimate
partner violence to the police...
It is important to keep in mind that the vast majority of cases, violence is perpetrated
by men on women. It is all about ‘Power & Control’. Perpetrators use a variety of
forms of intimidation and manipulation to prevent the women affected from
reporting, gaining support, prosecuting and seeking help; for example, the
perpetrator might tell her that she is an unfit mother, that she is crazy, paranoid and
that no-body will believe her and should she choose to leave, she will lose everything.
In Malta alone, the figures over the past four years have doubled, which is indicative
of the accepted levels of violence against women; more needs to be done to break the
vicious cycle of abuse. Ending the violence and turning to safe housing is just the first
step, rehabilitation is what’s needed for the on-going prevention of violence against
women, as domestic violence is an addiction like any other but not recognised to be
one.
As a community, we can have faith that criminalising domestic violence and
imposing punishments upon the offenders will encourage them to repent their wrong
and therefore, deter and suppress future violations.
It is clear with the publication of these results, that the time is now ripe to address
violence against women on the basis of the evidence supplied by the EU Wide Survey
carried over 28 countries and with support of this government, I hope to turn
information online to people in action, because to violence against women Malta,
let’s Say NO MORE!

7 T RENT ESTA:
3.10 EDUCATION:
DiplomainMultimediaGraphicDesign –Layoutand Design: Melbourne School of Arts
SportsAccreditationCoachingCouncil AlbertPark,Victoria
ACCC– Online withCBA In House,Victoria
Trade PracticesAct– Online withCBA In House,Victoria
Security Compliance – Online withCBA In House,Victoria
BankingCode of conduct – Online withCBA In House,Victoria
CustomerService Specialist –FootscrayTAFE Footscray,Victoria
Certificate IIIinFinancial Services –ChallengerTAFE Melbourne,Victoria
Certificate III inSocial Work – Morley LearningCentre Perth,WesternAustralia
Diploma in Children’sServices –TAFE of N.S.W Sydney,NewSouth Wales
In Summary:
I have several years of experience in a variety of fields including IT and finance and
feel I can comfortably take on the role of a Director for the proposed rehabilitation
centre, to better guarantee safety for women and children of domestic violence; my
previous positions have been a great introduction to working with people and
managing affairs. In addition to my extensive experience, I have strong
communication, customer service, and administrative skills.
In demonstrating my integrity, my bank telling experience has made me comfortable
handling cash (including large sums), checks, debit and credit cards and am also able
to make sure payments are made accurately; this demonstrates my level of
responsibility in dealing with the financials of the proposed rehabilitation centre.
I believe my level of education is sufficient; my ability to problem solve, coupled with
fifteen years of business related experiences, from customer service to people
management, I would without a doubt be successful in the day to day operation of
such a project that is intended for community benefit and not for profit.

8 T RENT ESTA:
3.20 BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND JUSTIFICATION:
I was unfortunately raised in domestic violence, which I accepted to be normal until
after marriage.
As a child in my mother’s care, I was beaten with objects, suffered fractures and often
sent to school with bruises; I was blamed by my mother for everything that went
wrong, in particular, for all the suffering she endured within our dysfunctional family
unit; “I was born rotten, a bad seed”, she used to add.
I was provided with neglect and less favourable treatment as a child in my mother’s
care; my father in frustration, used to remind my mother, “Lilly you have two
daughter’s not just one”!
Around the age of eleven my mother, in anger, broke my wrist for wanting to go
outside and play with the boys after dinner instead of “being a girl according to her
standards” and staying back to fold six baskets of clothes all belonging to the boys,
consuming all my play time. I like a clean home but often avoided housework
because I did not want to be left in the same room as my mother, who was generally
unpredictable in throwing her weight around.
My mother pleaded with the doctor to prescribe medication, as she simply was not
coping. In all fairness, she had a tough job raising six kids all under the age of 10
with her family on the other side of the world, while my father worked two jobs to
provide...
From the age of twelve my father took me under his wings, which caused my mother
further resentment and envy towards me; she was possessive of my father and
accused me of attempting to split up their marriage because of the bond we shared.
I was hailed my father’s sports and Karate champion coming first in most my events;
I even had a knack for beating the boys at their own games, cricket, football and
soccer, which entertained my father. My father used to take me fishing in the early
hours of the morning before the tide set in, casting jokes on the way that he was
going to drive me to the moon and back... and we bonded strongly, often leaving my
mother out of our innocent fun.
My mother was sure to break the bond between us by accusing my father of sleeping
with me, “well at least that’s the way it looks to everyone else”, she said and further
added, “don’t you think it’s abnormal the way you love your daughter?”; which forced

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my father to draw back all his love and attention ultimately washing his hands from
acting in my defence during the beatings I was subjected to by my mother.
At fourteen years old my mother cornered me in the hallway swinging a broom
handle at my head because I accidently broke a plate while washing the dishes – she
accused me of doing it on purpose and felt I needed discipline. My instincts kicked in
and I ducked under the broom handle swinging at my head missing contact all
together, as I stood back up and in order to stop my mother from further charging at
me, I threw out my right leg and kicked her in the stomach, which saw her fall to the
ground hard. She yelled out for the boys (my brothers) to beat up on me and my
father had to race in from the back yard tobreak up the violence...
I was thrown out of the house to live in the bungalow with no access to the toilet and
sometimes even refused entry via the back door for breakfast before school, forcing
me to go hungry; it was too much effort for my mother to get out of bed and open the
back door to me knocking before school.
3.30 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN ADULTHOOD
At only twenty one, I was enduring divorce and custody battles, as a result of marital
violence fuelled by an alcoholic spouse; it was only then that I realised Domestic
Violence is not OK.
At twenty four I experienced my first women’s refuge, a referral made by the Centre
Against Sexual Assault on my behalf, to protect my children... To escape the violence
I took my children from Victoria to Western Australia and lived in six different
women’s refuges along the way.
The neighbourhood in Western Australia (after the fourth women’s refuge) was
engulfed with Domestic Violence, which made sense as to why the rentals were so
cheap. There were drug addicts raising their kids just a few doors down and no one
seemed to care; it was sadly accepted.
I tried to intervene by providing the lady next door (who was in a domestic violent
marriage) with leaflets from the neighbouring women’s refuge that the children and I
occupied for three months upon our arrival to Western Australia and soon enough I
became her husband’s new target; just another excuse for abuse.
At one point the man next door, breeched our fence boundaries and entered my
carport through the back yard and pulled out the engine wires from underneath the
bonnet of my car, and left threatening messages involving my children who were only

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toddlers at the time. I called the women’s refuge in Fremantle, resorting to a safe
house for the sake of my children once again leaving his wife behind.
We were finally safe and settled in beautifully. I got a job with the local bank earning
good money and my children were enjoying interacting with other children at the
family day care centre, as we had no support from extended family members; luckily
the family day care centre was free of charge to single mothers in Australia or I would
not have been able to work. As a community, Fremantle (south of Western
Australia), was accommodating, friendly and open minded; it offered plenty of
entertainment after hours. On the weekends, the kids and I travelled by boat to
Rottnest Island for a day trip and caught a movie at the theatre upon our return; they
were very happy children and we were safe.
In a nutshell, I’ve spent sixteen years raising two children single handedly with ho
help from anyone; and since December 2012, fulfilling my European travel dreams,
(enduring 7 long years of police corruption, which eventually cost me my children),
which resulted in a marriage to 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,
(although 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 organised and supported by police corruption over an illegal cross reference that
should never have happened – a grudge carried forward from one country to the
next. My husband alleged the following which he said came out of the mouths of
detectives at the Victoria Police Station in Gozo – during his interrogation:
 Australian's are doll bludgers and don't want to work...
 Don't get me pregnant or I will hit hard with maintenance (my ex-partners
had more to take than my husband and I never touched their money, even
though I was entitled to it - I had both father's exempt...)
 Detectives claiming I was already married…
 Calling me a 'mignuna'...
 Further claiming that I was treating him like a poodle on a leash and that if his
wife dare treat him like that, he’s slap her in the face Detectives recommended
that my husband take a STD test for HIV after sleeping with me
 …after 40 year old, women find it hard to conceive

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 Detectives making fun of my CV that they had handy and told my husband
that I have a degree with the university of the streets AND FINALLY - in
abusing their power of position tried to bribe my husband with JOB
SECURITY should he comply with their wishes to leave me and never speak to
me again.
...they also offered to take good care of him, as a friend but not as long as he is
married to me and broke the criminal code of Malta and the Police Act in doing so.
This sweet faced husband of mine, who at the beginning was quite innocent and
sexually inexperienced, went from being a man of good moral character to a wolf in
sheep’s clothing overnight, calculating deception every step of the way - one face to
me and another to everyone else. His mother in a separate incident took it upon
herself to assault me in the middle of the streets carrying forward the abuse; my
husband’s reported, ‘At one point she (referring to his mother) became really
aggressive and hit my wife in the face twice and later in the stomach, I had to jump in
the middle to stop my mum from hitting my wife once again.’ He further added on a
formal statement, ‘My wife did not hit back, she did not raise her voice nor
was she abusive at any particular point.
It was this very incident involving his mother that motivated me to establish ‘a tell
all’ website where I named and shamed the culprits; however, after separation it was
mysteriously deleted and therefore, a second website was born, even better than the
first in terms of professional presentation.
Incidents of Abuse(not all listed here) in accordance to my ‘Statement of Complaints’
document, filed with the family courts of Malta upon separation (which was
mysteriously deleted from my linked-in profile and my husband was the only one
with the password other than me):
https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/45965546
3.31 Incident Three
We moved on the St Paul’s Bay sleeping in a tent and looking for work away from all
his family members. It was cold and unpleasant but it was better than shouldering
the family pressures at hand; his maternal family members making every effort to
split us up.
I noticed Bradley sneaking out in the middle of the night for a couple of hours and
entering a parked van with a lady waiting for him beside the van. I followed him out
one night without his knowledge after pretending to fall asleep, which is how I found
out; I noticed this van was following us everywhere and parking nearby our tent each

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time we moved position due to the wind and rain but I never thought anything of it
until I witnessed Bradley’s association with it.
I knew that by questioning him it would subject me to his violence, however, there
came a time when I just couldn’t keep quite anymore and therefore, I questioned him
in the worst location ever by mistake, it was covered in boulders and cliffs that stood
just over the ocean. At first he tried to deny all, telling me what he always tells me
when he’s laying, “I’ve got no idea what you are talking about”, then I told
him I saw him because I followed him out there and he said, ‘get your evidence’.
Bradley was losing the argument evidence or not and in the heat of the moment, he
threw me hard on the boulder that I was balancing on; he was standing over me and
as he pushed me backwards, I fell smack bang on my hip with no chance to get back
up. I was in so much agony, I seriously couldn’t walk and was in disbelief that
someone with such a sweet face would even go that far – my husband!
I felt betrayed that he broke yet again another promise to keep his hands to himself
and use his words, after the last incident. I remember crying my eye’s out and
looking up to the full moon asking God to help me.
My husband dragged me over to a flat surface where I almost passed out being in so
much pain. I was leaning on his lap but unable to stand up. We stayed there till the
sun rose and then headed back to the campsite, where my husband had to practically
drag me back to while I was leaning heavily on his shoulder for over an hour in
agony, till we reached our tent on foot. He asked me not to get him into trouble and
said this was the last time he’d lose his temper and once again, I fell for it, forgave
him and protected him from criminal charges – I believed he would change.
3.32 Incident Five
The next day he wanted to go to a secret location alone, it was a Saturday morning
and I was standing by the door just trying to talk to him; I couldn’t understand the
need for secrecy, I didn’t want to stay home alone because my hip was in pain and
given that, I did not have the liberty to exit via the flight of stairs that led to the front
door by myself (injured). I asked my husband what could be so important on a
Saturday and to stay back with me over the weekend while I am still recovering but
he refused not only to stay back but also to disclose his destination, telling me it’s
none of my business. I was obviously standing in his way and to move me against my
will, he picked me up with both hands cupped around my back and both feet off the
ground and actually slammed me on the ground hard, hitting my head first.

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I lost consciousness and my memory when I awoke. According to Bradley, I didn’t
know who I was, where I was and what was happening when I woke up, as I was
knocked out cold.
My memory of the event was being slammed on the ground and praying the rosary in
the kitchen the next day, with my favourite beads that I brought back from Lourdes;
which Bradley broke on purpose in a separate heated argument.
3.33 Incident Six
When we were living in Msida - 109 Conception Street - I noticed an empty wrapper
of sleeping tablets on the floor by the front door of our house, it looked like the empty
wrapper just fell in that position by accident, as it was on its side???
I asked my husband if the empty wrapper belongs to him and he denied all
knowledge of it, and it sure as hell wasn't mine, as I would rather stay up all night
than take those things. We were the only two in the house so I couldn't understand it.
The next day Bradley cooked for me, as he usually does and then insisted we go to
bed earlier than usual, (straight after dinner), which was odd; I crashed on the couch
by accident next tohim - it was Wednesday, late afternoon. I woke up Friday at
around lunchtime and thought I was going crazy, until Bradley confirmed it was
actually Friday. Bradley woke up hung-over, with beer on his breath and I couldn't
work it out. He told me that I was going crazy and tried to deny smelling of beer.
I asked Bradley if he slipped me some sleeping pills so he could go out and have some
fun without raising suspicion and he denied all, again calling me crazy. ‘We'll I am
not on anything, so what happened I asked him???’ And he said that he's got no idea
what I am talking about, his favorite punch line when playing the game of deny all!
I told Bradley that next time I am knocked out like this, I will not hesitate in filing a
police report, describing what just happened and he can then answer to them; he
said, good luck trying to get them to believe you!
And it happened again in the month of June, I was knocked out for 12 hours and
woke up with a splitting headache and bruises on my hips (that were not there the
night before); as if I’d been knocked around the room while sleeping; again Bradley
‘had no idea what I was talking about’ according to his idea of innocence.
3.34 The Last Straw
My husband and I were going through separation; he has made every effort topush
me away since his first interview with the Ministry for Social Solidarity, for the LEAP
Project, which he was certain to be appointed before his acceptance came through.

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He told me that this position was promised to him by a third party (whose identity he
did not disclose) and further mentioned that I was standing in his way of getting the
job; and therefore, he has to ‘get rid of me’ first. Of course this did not make any
sense until recently, when he went as far as to break my statue of The Blessed Virgin
Mary that I pray The Holy Rosary to each morning, as a means of what he calls
‘getting rid of me’; which worked like a charm, it compelled me to throw his bags out
the front door; Tuesday the 22nd July, 2014.
Someone advised me to forgive him and in the spirit resolving the matter peacefully,
I met with him in person the following day and gave him till Sunday 27th of July,
2014, to return back home to reconcile; which he failed to do, as this job is obviously
more important to him – chasing money as usual.
TWO DAYS LATER ON THE 24TH JULY, 2014; BRADLEY GOT THE JOB
VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION FOR THE LEAP PROJECT – HE
OBVIOUSLY KNEW SOMETHING THAT I DIDN’T!!!
As a result of my husband refusing to pay a cent in maintenance, I was made
homeless (despite his 20,000eur per annum income bracket); and having no savings
of my own due to unemployment, I was forced to drop legal proceedings against my
husband, which would have held him responsible for his crimes of domestic abuse;
and the legal aid system already under strain, compromised my opportunities for
fair justice by appointing a lawyer not relevant to my case.
I channeled 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 - a public health issue - but with deaf
ministers and a blind community at large, the numbers will continue to rise.
While sleeping on park benches and public access areas tolerating harassment and
unwanted attention on an almost daily basis, I 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. Furthermore, 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 initially 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, as per his own admissions.

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I am an individual, a leader, a mother, a wife and someone’s daughter. I have been
made homeless as a result of the accepted levels of Family Violence in Malta;
numbers are at epidemic proportions and on the rise. I have no family left!
4.10 Melanie’s Story - 1999
I entered the first Refuge with my two children. I had natural way of connecting with
the women and children in there and took it upon myself to organise programmes to
promote a life away from violence, involving willing participants (after dinner when
the workers had gone home). The group grew at a rapid rate and soon enough I had
100% participation, which extended to lunch times based on demand. At that point I
had no experience, just excellent people skills and a heart the size of an Ox; however
staff were impressed and recommended I pursue studies in Children and Community
Services after the refuge (which I did later on in life). The refuge welfare worker was
the only person who did not support my efforts, as she felt I was stepping on her toes
but the way I saw it is that she wasn’t taking action to promote a positive residential
experience, which is part of the reason women were returning to their abusive
partners – they simply did not like the refuge. Tostrike a compromise, I agreed to
offer my programme to residents after hours only.
Then one day a new resident entered. Her name was Melanie and she was
unfortunately a severe case, no one knew how to deal with her except for my case
worker, who was also hers due to short staff. The residents upon Melanie’s admission
into the refuge were asked to vote for her stay, due to the severity of her situation; all
who refused her (in fear) except for me. I put my hand up tall and fought
passionately for her stay, in fact I insisted. My case worker asked me to take into
consideration whether I can handle her problems undergoing counselling for
Domestic Violence myself and again I insisted she stay under humanitarian rights if
nothing else.
All the residents turned sour, as no one wanted her to stay and to transfer her, case
workers needed 100% of votes, so I was sure not to give mine. The residents
immediately withdrew from my programmes and held their children back from
attending, despite the children protesting loudly. Soon enough the refuge welfare
worker found her long awaited opportunity to accuse me of causing discord, as the
children were throwing tantrums for not being allowed to attend my programme
under the instruction of their mothers since Melanie’s entry; but the case workers
weren’t stupid and knew exactly what the problem was and it wasn’t anything I was
doing. The residents were reacting in fear and to be honest, they were entitled to
their concerns to some degree.
In a nutshell, Melanie’s story broke my heart. When she entered the refuge, she was
only 17 and quite isolated. Here is a girl who’s mother died at two or three and her

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father was a drug dealer involved in gang related crime. When Melanie was only 10
(and yes I am shedding a little tear at this computer having to remember her story –
it’s very sad...) her father sold her to a pimp in Melbourne, who happened to be
Maltese, to clear a drug debt he could not pay. Since the tender age of ten, this poor
soul has been tied down like an animal on a daily basis and force-fed drugs until she
became addicted in order for compliance to take effect. Then she was forced into
prostitution from then on, men having sex with her by numbers to make money for
her Maltese Pimp who was too clever for the honest cops and slipped through the
system because of the dishonest ones; there were rumours that he knew police in
high places who failed to charge him accepting blood money made on Melanie’s back
(and she wasn’t the only one, he had other victims (and I am using the word victim,
because they are children who had no say in it)).
At the age of only 12, she became dependant on her pimp, was addicted to Heroin
and God knows what else, living a life according to dictations handed down by the
devil himself – we couldn’t work out how on earth this girl slipped through the
system, I mean she never went to school and no one knew about her; it assumed that
his contacts with corrupt police officers in high places made a difference.
At 17 she was ganged raped against her will, her pimp tied her legs and arms and
further covered her mouth with gaffe tape forcing men to have their way at a price,
one after the other and it went on all day without access to food, clothing and
water, that was her turning point!
She waited for her pimp to untie her, bruised and injured and then tried to escape,
screaming as loud as possible in an apartment block she’s was held in for many years
where no one even knew she existed. He grabbed her as she reached for the exit door
and stabbed her with a large knife in the vagina – the door opened and she ran
bleeding like a hunted animal. Residents called the police immediately after hearing
her screams and that’s how she came to the refuge infected with Hepatitis B –
everywhere else was full and this fucking monster of a man was looking for her like
crazy to finish the job. In fact, it was my case worker, Nesli (a Turkish lady who was
married to a Maltese) who initially gave her entry against protocol. So you could
imagine the fear this caused the residents, in particular living with a lady infected
with an STI and addicted to a substance we did not understand.
Melanie was excluded from the belonging by all the other residents who also refused
her communication, socially isolating her like she didn’t exist but I took her side
regardless, as I could not stand to watch such inhumane acts of cruelty;;; this girl has
been through enough and I understood her pain to some degree but not her
suffering, thank God. I took her under my wing and put my level of suffering on the
back shelf, as it was nowhere near as bad as hers, including her as a family member.
The other residents were trying to scare me by warning me that my children will

17 T RENT ESTA:
catch her diseases if I keep hanging around her;;; I used to tell them that germs
go where they want to go and they favour people like them, as it is God
who chooses our punishment. I drew up a programme specifically for
her, which involved exercise, good nutrition and daily meditation and
allowed her to freely play with my children and we had some fun playing
kiddie games that she never even heard of, like ring a ring a rosy for
instance... it was very sad to watch and at times I had to remove myself
from the scene to stop myself from crying in front of her, as pity was not
what she needed.
I realized that she needed to be a child again and included child’s play into our
morning routine and my kids loved her – she was surprisingly very good with them.
The only difficulty I experienced is that she was on the Methadone Programme to
clean her up and having no experience with drug use what so ever, I really didn’t
know how to deal with it; I certainly was not qualified to deal with her addiction by
way of experience nor education. My case worker was not the only one who was
pleased with how much progress Melanie was making in such a short amount of
time.
Melanie broke my heart one day when she said, she wishes God
appointed me to be her mother in this life and she further added that my
children are the luckiest in the world. She was becoming dependant on
me and you can’t blame her, because for the first time in her life, she
found a mother. The welfare worker started raising concerns to upper
management, claiming that it’s unhealthy for Melanie to become
dependent on me and they soon transferred her but waited till I was out
all day with my children, as they knew I would put up a fight – I loved her
like my own daughter.
I returned to the refuge to find her gone. After hearing about the transfer, I was
furious with that damn bitch (referring to the welfare worker) and punched the wall
outside hard for the second time while living in that refuge (the first time was an
accident while training on the punching bag...) and broke my knuckle, blood going
everywhere. The scar remains on my left hand, middle knuckle.
The most unfortunate thing is that as a result of being transferred, Melanie was not
coping in the second refuge and escaped (I could only imagine the treatment she was
getting by other residents); she returned to the only life she knew and her pimp killed
her.

18 T RENT ESTA:
4.20 The Church Speech – 2001
While at the Fremantle refuge in Western Australia, I noticed staff paying close
attention to my parenting, watching on in admiration for the way I was handling my
children and particularly with regards to supervision.
Then one night after I put the kids to bed a new resident entered who wasn’t coping
very well after being handed over by police bruised and battered; she was in a bad
way. I sat down with her over a cup of coffee and introduced myself to make her feel
welcome. A social worker warned me (as I am known to speak my mind) to tread
carefully, as she is in a fragile state and went on to remind me that not everyone is as
strong as I am. I replied with, ‘then why don’t you teach them to be?’ and she said,
‘until you’re a qualified social worker, you will stay out of it thanks’.
I realised what the problem was, aside from the abuse she had just escaped; she was
being treated like a helpless victim, which is the worst thing you can do to someone
who is seeking to change their circumstances of abuse.
So I thought I’d take the initiative, or a risk more to the point, and speak to her as if
she was not abused but recognising her injuries at the same time. I was talking to her
about choices and how sometimes in life we just make the wrong ones and further
added that under no circumstances did she deserve what happened to her; however,
in the spirit of positive change, we must take full responsibility for our own
behaviours NOT THEIRS... This mindset was an alternative toa method of thinking
that keeps us stuck in victimhood if we are not careful in how we process our life
experiences. I quickly established where her interests and abilities lie and shifted the
conversation onto them, encouraging her to pursue her dreams. Then I suggested a
daily routine to help her feel better and of course, meditation for the non-religious to
calm her mind.
Of course we bonded very quickly as she found a friend who understood her but this
time I kept her at an arm’s length because of what happened with Melanie (the story
listed above). At the end of one week the results were already taking shape. The social
worker pulled me and asked me what I said to her, ‘nothing that you couldn’t have
said, I just took a different approach’ I said, ‘and stopped treating her like a victim,
that’s all’. She was very impressed and invited me to give a public speech at the local
church this coming Sunday in front of politicians who they specifically invited to gain
much needed funding; the priest was going to give a speech in support.
I agreed on the condition that she doesn’t tell me what to do. She didn’t like it very
much because she had what she thought was a winning speech printed on paper (that
she spent all night putting together and wanted me to read off it). I pointed out to her
that if just reading she wants me to do, she can get anyone to do it, as there women in

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the refuge who read much better than me, me being dyslexic; however, if she wants
me to work my God given gifts, then she’s going to have to give a blank canvas and
move to one side for me to do what I do best – communication from the heart. I
further explained that due to the way I process information, I do not do scripts and
work off memory and life experience, which I believe is more effective than anything
you can read out of a book. ‘Ok’ she said in a very nervous and untrusting tone of
voice, ‘let’s do it Anne, we need this funding and please don’t stuff it up for me’.
Sunday came and all the children from the women’s refuge, including mine, were
placed in day care (in-house), as they would only get bored and cause a distraction. It
was my turn to get up on the alter and the priest handed me the microphone. He
asked where my script was and I told him I don’t need one; he wished me luck but
the look his face was almost expecting me to fail. Tomy surprise I gave a killer
speech, which got a standing ovation when I finished. This was the first time I
publically spoke in front of a large crowd, let alone politicians and I loved it – I was
almost going to pursue study in politics.
I first gave a brief history of my personal experiences of domestic violence, speaking
my mind from the bottom of heart and then I went on to explain the problems as to
why women return to their abusive partners (because the cycle of abuse is not yet
broken). I simply added that the abusive addictive cycle of domestic violence is an
addiction like any other but not recognised to be one, an area that lacks much needed
funding. And went on... ‘It is my understanding those cycles of abuse can affectively
be broken by way rehabilitation following the 12 Step Program given to alcoholics’. I
communicated all this over the microphone and added that with help of people of
influence such as politicians (like themselves), we can not only reduce the numbers
(to continue to see a decline) but also be proud to promote safer communities for our
daughter and our daughter’s daughters and especially our son’s who grow up copying
what they see if nothing is done, bearing in mind that the same sex parent is the
strongest influence impacting heavily on child’s mind during the most crucial
developmental years... and I went on and on just like this. I was only meant to give a
half an hour speech, which turned into an hour and nobody complained while they
were all sitting up grabbing every word I spoke.
The refuge got the funding they needed and the politicians were asking for my
information. They offered me employment working with women and children of
domestic violence from an office location as a case worker but only after undergoing
training and completing my certificate III in Social Work; which was all paid for via
government funding, organised by them.
I completed my certificate in The Morley Learning Centre but did not pursue a career
in social work because I was quickly employed at a local bank once the kids and I left
the refuge; and being a single mother, I can only stretch my time so far.

20 T RENT ESTA:
4.30 The Girl Next Door:
The owner of the rental that I occupied with my children while working for a local
bank in Western Australia was selling up and therefore, we moved houses from
Mandurah to Coodanup. Everyone told me that Coodanup is problematic and the
rentals are cheap because it is a low socio-economic area despite the impressive sea
views running along the border of this small town.
When my children and I first moved there we didn't experience any social problems
at all except for the fact that it was a little isolated from the major shopping area's
and local schools but with my new car, newly purchased and fuel prices relatively
cheap, getting around was not going to be problem; having to consider school and
day care for the kids, my social work accreditation at the Morely Learning Centre,
which I was attending afterhours and work commitments with a local bank.
Tomake it more a home, I brought the kids a little dog called Snowy (which we
rescued from the Animal Shelter), pet fish and a Rag Doll Kitten, called 'Kitty'.
After three months of stay, new residents moved in next door. The girl was really
pretty with strawberry blonde hair (like my son's) and a figure to die for, even after
two children she was drop dead gorgeous and had men in the neighbourhood stare
every time she stepped a foot outside her front door. We had something in common,
except for being sexy mums, she was an athlete and always at the gym like me; she
was also very active with her children, engaging them in physical activity at the local
park with ball games - cricket, footy (Aussie Rules) and Soccer; however, there was
one thing that did not match up, which I found strange, she avoided the opportunity
to make friends and not even I could get close enough to communicate with her, as
the minute anyone went near her or the children, she would pack up and go home;
this is something we did not have in common and at the beginning I could not
understand!
Her dropkick of a boyfriend was covered with tattoos and drank whisky every night -
only God knows how they found each other; I could smell trouble just by looking at
him and made several attempts tobefriend her while pulling out the weeds in the
front garden, as she was checking her mail every day; I could see she had no friends
and it was probably because everyone was scared of her boyfriend. She kept to herself
and refused me contact, so I ended up just sticking to my friends at the bank where I
worked and the mother's from my children's school and day care centre - it's not like
I needed anymore friends at the time anyway.
One day just after I put my son to bed for an afternoon nap, there was loud bagging
coming from next door brought on quite suddenly and lots of shouting; the lady next
door was screaming and the man was obviously hitting her, asking her if she wants
another one.

21 T RENT ESTA:
It was her children's screams that affected me the most, which pierced the very walls
that confined them, then it went quiet and no one came out of the house.
I got on the phone promptly to the police on the emergency line (000) and
demanded their attendance on the grounds of Domestic Violence. I thought I picked
up the phone quite early but the operator had informed me that the police were
already on their way as I am about the 14th caller and just as I was about to hang up
the phone, along come the police, who pulled into next door's driveway - they were
there pretty quick smart, which was impressive. I was informed by the operator that
the Australian Police have to prioritise cases of Domestic Violence and take each call
out seriously, as if it was a matter of life and death.
I freely gave the operator my information before hanging up the phone, as everyone
else made an anonymous call; the caller wanted to follow-up this incident with child
protection services, 'to make sure the kids aren’t hurt' she said to me'. 'Ok', I said,
'but under no circumstances I am going to assist them to remove her children or be
responsible for such a thing'.
That same afternoon I got a phone call from the Department of Child Protection, they
didn't waste any time making that call that's for sure; she was the prosecutor for that
region and wanted me to give her a signed statement, as a witness, to assist her to
remove the children from their mother's care without delay because the mother
according to this prosecutor, refused to leave her partner upon police presence. I
didn't even let her finish the sentence, as I knew exactly what she was about to say
next, and replied instinctively with 'No f**king way girlfriend, I don't care who you
are and what position you hold, those kids need to be with their mother in a refuge
where they are protected from that ass-hole, who should be charged with assault first
and foremost...', I went on in protest, 'I mean have you seen her, she's got a black eye
and a fat lip because of him and I'd like to know, where the f**k do you get off
removing the children from her when they are probably all she's got left, as it's
obvious she has no friends... and I am not going to be responsible for that, so you can
tell the cops to do their jobs and I expect you to do yours by (a) giving her a referral
to the correct service instead of working to put those kids through the trauma of
separation'. She didn't appreciate it so just to make myself clear, I added, 'I don't
know what they've thought you in university but it's obviously different to what I'm
learning in social work?' Then she went one step further, the prosecutor said with
enthusiasm that they can ensure job security for me should I choose to comply, a
secure position paying $60,000 in the first year as a social worker working for them
once I have finished my course but only if I help her out now'. I seriously couldn't
believe what I was hearing and said 'are you trying to f**king bribe me?' she said, 'do
you know who you are talking to?' and I said, 'do YOU know who you are talking to
mate?' ...and this went on for a few minutes, the usual power play when authorities
who attempt tocorrupt the system don't get their way, until this prosecutor asserted
her position with her final statement, 'it's people like me that take children from
mother's like you'.

22 T RENT ESTA:
I was gob-smacked and couldn't believe she tried to threaten me with such an
obvious abuse of power of position, so I rose to the occasion, as I always do when I
am challenged and said right back to her, 'go your hardest girlfriend, I'm not going to
stand here and be intimidated by you or anyone else in your organisation ...and it will
be me that will be giving evidence against you in court if those kids are removed from
their mother's care', and I went on, '...and you're clearly breaching policies that are in
place to promote safer families, not to tear them apart - where do you get off?' I
further added before hanging up the phone, 'what that women needs is
rehabilitation, a refuge for her initial safety and to be with her children without that
ass hole next door, as he should be the one punished not her!'
Then she said, 'I'm going to pretend we didn't have this conversation for your sake',
and I said, 'and I'm going to pretend that you're going to do your job well and have
her assisted according to policy by this time tomorrow afternoon before I blow the
whistle loudly in your ear for everyone else tohear with regards to your misconduct.'
...and guess what happened, the very next day the cops waited around the corner for
the ass hole to leave the house and then removed the mother with her children quite
promptly and placed them into the local refuge because of a referral that was given
by the same prosecutor who telephoned me.
That ass hole next door returned to find the police there waiting with handcuffs and
his girlfriend gone with the children; he was charged with a criminal offence, assault
and served with an interim restraining order until such time the matter could be
heard in court. That afternoon the neighbourhood invited me to a street barbiin
congratulations and there were plenty of free snags and beer cooked for everyone -
that's how we fight corruption in Australia. A FAIR GO IS THE AUSTRALIAN WAY!
5.10 LEGAL EXPOSURE:
As a result of blowing the whistle on a police officer for sexual assault in Australia,
I’ve been subjected to in-conceivable levels of police corruption carried forward from
place to the next, sabotaging the opportunity for perfectly good relationships and the
right to a fair go, a case stretched seven years long;;; which throughout the years, has
given me a VERY STRONG SENCE FOR JUSTICE and intelligence training beyond
my years.
As a result of my said experiences, I have represented myself in court dealing with
diverse areas of law, in particular, civil and criminal cases (and some family matters).
This entailed intensive research of the relevant act’s and the study of sections and
sub-sections in preparation for on-coming hearings; and furthermore, compiling and
submitting (singlehandedly) all documentation in due course directly with the courts.
I’ve alsohad firsthand experience in cross-examining a witness and from that very
moment, my passion to enter the legal arena was born.

23 T RENT ESTA:
One example is a court case that I filed against an educational giant, who failed in
their duty of care to provide an environment for my son that is free from violence.
The story hit the headlines and the school was very quick to change their policies
after that; and believe me, they came out of court in a sweat. They further put into
place anti-bullying strategies with not just the students but also the teachers,
addressing professional conduct rules. All the parents congratulate me, as they felt
I won it for them because although I didn’t get my way in court, I stopped others
from going through the same thing after me.
Once Qualified, I had intended to use my legal expertise (as a lawyer) to
represent women and children of domestic violence in court, after
establishing Europe’s First Rehabilitation Centre - ‘TrentEsta’ – to
transform gender power inequalities combating violence against women
at the core.
I tried to enter into Law to commence 1st of October, 2014, however, my application
with the Malta university was rejected; which I was only informed about at the
interview stages (two weeks before commencement) not leaving me sufficient time to
re-apply. Furthermore, I have been made aware by university staff themselves that
my husband had applied for his masters in criminology at the same time and that I
can do my law degree next year when my husband, has finished his masters,
(allowing him to go first); which made me very angry because I felt held back for him
to get ahead; a clear case of INEQUALITY; again demonstrating outdated practices.
5.20 HUMAN RIGHTS AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
The European court of Human Rights has established that states have a duty to
protect the enjoyment of the right to life under Article 2, the right not to be subjected
to torture and ill-treatment under Article 3 and the right to family life under Article
8; the duty to protect applies also where a private individual commits the actual
breach.
When authorities fail to take appropriate action to protect the lives of the innocent,
mainly women and children, in cases of domestic violence, they are affectively in
breach of the convention. A state cannot wait for the actual violation to take place;
it must take measures in order to prevent its occurrence.
Gender based violence against women may breach provisions of the convention,
regardless of whether those provisions expressly mention violence. The council of
Europe’s European Committee of Social Rights has stated that Article 16 of the
European Social Charter on the right of the family to social, legal and economic
protection applies to all forms of Domestic Violence and that state parties are

24 T RENT ESTA:
obligated to adopt measures to protect women from domestic violence, both in law
and in practice.
In cases of Domestic Violence, women (being mainly on the receiving end) may feel
intimidated or threatened by the perpetrator, which often leads to withdrawal of
consent to prosecute; possible witnesses may have strong emotional or loyal ties to
the perpetrator. All these factors must be taken into account when presented with a
case of domestic violence.
Combating Domestic Violence is a legal responsibility and should not be dismissed
due to a lack of resources. We must ensure that the investigation of cases that are
more easily investigated and prosecuted, and thus leading to a court decision, is not
prioritized at the expense of more complicated and time-consuming cases of
domestic violence. Prioritizing is also a question of attitudes within the police and
prosecuting authority, possibly reflecting the attitudes in the surrounding society.
In TRENTESTA we envision special conditions for hearing the voices of women and
children affected by family violence, in order to lessen the traumatizing effects of
suffering in silence; and ensure that measure are taken to protect survivors
effectively against threats and possible acts of revenge. The aftermath of Domestic
Violence is very real and often involves stalking and harassment; a large percentage
of women will return to the same abuse they escaped if there is not enough support
with their first attempt toend the violence.
THERE IS SIMPLY NO EXCUISE GOOD ENOUGH FOR ABUSE!
6.10 SHELTER SERVICES IN MALTA:
Issues experienced:
1. Lack of awareness. During my efforts in raising awareness for women and
children of domestic violence, some members of the community stated, ‘it
doesn’t happen in Malta?’
2. Accessibility and availability of shelters and the services provided within; a
social worker is required to enter into all the shelter services listed below
3. Being believed up against my husband who at the time was appointed as a new
employee with the Ministry for Social Solidarity; and rejected for housing,
forcing homelessness…
4. Medical certificate to certify abuse; and police reports

25 T RENT ESTA:
5. Shelter demand is greater than supply; absence of support
6. Could not find contact phone numbers for the shelter services listed below
Dar Merhba Bik Dar Qalb Ta Gesu Dar Carolina
Provides a crises
intervention service and
also caters for long term
clients
Takes clients on long term
stay basis and does not
provide short stay
residential services
Accepts both short and
long term clients who can
only be admitted once
Shared accommodation-
communal amenities
Flatlet accommodation –
own kitchen
Flatlet accommodation –
own kitchen
Client capacity in 2000
was 14 women and their
children
children
children
Provided with individual
and group counselling
Free; contributions are
only made by those who
can afford it
can afford it
can afford it
In 2000; refuse clients, as
much as 5 per day
because they are full
In 2000; refuse four
clients in one week
In 2000; had vacancies
but clients can only access
this service once
Fully staffed; all of which
are social workers or
psychology graduates
Staff levels limit the
possibility of meeting the
requisite of a full client
complement and
consequently client intake
Staff levels limit the
possibility of meeting the
requisite of a full client
complement and
consequently client intake
All clients are first and
foremost assess by a
social worker; and
referred to a shelter.
Caters for emergencies
A social worker is only
provided by request. Does
not cater for emergency
services, does not believe
in short term crises
intervention or respite
services; keeps a waiting
list.
Assessed by a social
worker during the intake
process; emergency
services are at this stage
unknown
Do not provide transport
services
Do not provide transport
services
So not provide transport
services
In 2000, a crises
intervention telephone
help line is not available
at shelter homes
In 2000, a crises
at shelter homes
In 2000, a crises
at shelter homes

26 T RENT ESTA:
Age limit for admission is
10/11 years old for
children
No age limit No age limit
Counselling at the shelter
is given
Counselling only at the
request of client
No counselling
Collaboration with health
centres, police and
advocates
centre, advocate and the
Hamrun police station
centres, local police and
advocates
Trained to carry out
telephone interventions
Not trained to carry out
Not trained to carry out
6.20 SURVIVING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE in MALTA
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 liveable; my appeal to this day,
unanswered and I am still homeless, as a result of an inflexible system.
2. The Social Worker at the Housing Authority, upon disclosing the levels of
domestic abuse my husband subjected me to, told me that it’s all in my head;
which is the worst thing you can tell someone who is experiencing abuse and trying
to seek support.
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 food vouchers) until such time that I agreed to be counselled by her first. I did not
deem counselling necessary in order to put food in my mouth (a human right) and
therefore, rejected her offer and further refused her communication. I left my
application on the desk and walked out the door quietly; 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; I did not ask them for accommodation. I made my point quite clear
that 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. They kept coming up with excuses to justify this file
that they so badly wanted to hold against me and its contents, they kept secret. I
demanded they delete the file that they created in my name, which is against protocol
and refrain from using it.

27 T RENT ESTA:
a) The last interaction I had with the YMCA just recently, I was subjected to
abuse and profanities by staff while attempting to collect some clean clothing
from the donation tub after wearing the same ones for six consecutive months
(and even sleeping in them, as I’ve been forced into homelessness); out of
spite, a staff member refused me the opportunity for a clean change of clothes.
I believe my human rights have been breached and so have their policies; an
organization that states, ‘The YMCA Valletta is a non-profit
voluntary and ecumenical movement seeking to promote the
vision to build a more just society…’.
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 who is 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 – born 17/11/1989).
6. Dar Qalb ta Gesu, will not take short term tenants and do not have crises
intervention; they are simply short of staff through no fault of their own. They insist
on a police report, which the MSIDA Police failed to give me upon my request due to
no current incidents of abuse.
7. The MSIDA Police told me that the incidents of abuse were simply too old to file
a report against my husband, who was working for the Ministry of Social Solidarity at
the time. They were talking to me at the same time as holding an open line over the
phone to Mater Dai Hospital conversing in Maltese, saying something about a crazy
person needing to be picked up urgently – I had a hard time picking up every word,
spoken very quickly in Maltese.
8. Dar Theresa in Valletta (an emergency shelter for women, newly opened by the
Catholic Church) insisted on a referral from a social worker and had 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 Floriana politely informed me of his
reason for not being able to give such a referral after explaining my current
circumstances, which led to homelessness. 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. Appogg 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

28 T RENT ESTA:
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 and further claiming that they have done everything in their power to help
me... Well if that’s how they help people, then I don’t need it! 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 mention, as I 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;
and with regards to the Fatima House in Sliema (who have agreed to feed
me), I did not fit the age criteria.
12. All the services mentioned above (except for NGO) fall under the umbrella of the
ministry where my husband was appointed as new employee at the time.
7.10 RESOURCES REQUIRED
Seeking sponsorships; accessing funds from global donors, initiating projects,
contribution from project beneficiaries and community participation. Once funds are
secured, it will be a permanent model for rehabilitation centre based in Malta and
catering for all EU Nationals.
Category 1:
a) 1200 Eur for the 'Car Sticker Promotion'; which we are aiming to Launch in
April - right after the tin collection street march... Volunteers have already put
up their hands to participate
b) 12 Acrylic Nail Vouchers for all fingers and 12 bottles of nail polish
c) 12 cartons of beer, 6 pack
Category 2
a) Lap top computer with inbuilt webcam
b) Computer Software - Latest Versions except for the windows operating
system, which would prefer Windows 8;;; Corel Draw, Adobe Photo-Shop, Ms
Works, Ms Office Suite (all programs please)

29 T RENT ESTA:
c) Printer and 5 Reams of A4 printer paper for further proposals and related
office work
Category 3
a) Photo Camera with batteries and 2 memory cards
b) Mobile Phone - Samsung Smartphone with 4.5inch screen
c) Phone sim card and a one off pre-pay credit top up to be contactable
Category 4
a) 500 Eur first years internet connection
b) 500 Eur for 1800/local free toll number for the first year, which is intended to
create a 'Dob in DV Free Call Line', available to the public 24/7; incidences
can be reported anonymously and any information that leads to an arrest will
(pending sponsorship) go into a draw to win a 'Brand New Car in December -
one drawn each year I hope with adequate sponsorship from a new car sales
dealer, which I am yet tofollow up on;;; don't get put off guys, it's only money
and if we gel together, we can make it happen...
Category 5
a) 8000 Eur for rent; 12 months office space (which includes electricity) in
Valletta, local to adjoining services relevant toour cause
Category 6
a) Print Media; 30,000 D/Sided F/Colour Business Cards; 30,000 A5 Booklets
(consisting of 5 A4 Sheets per booklet, F/Colour, D/Sided Print and gloss - the
art work will be provided by me, flattened and print ready according to
standard format; 32,000 DL Stickers (for indoors); and finally 30,000
Placemats to fit MacDonald’s Food Trays for the promotion to follow the
street march tin collection...
b) 'Malta, Let's Say No More' Printed T-Shirts 5,000; and 'Malta, Let's Say No
More' Printed Hats 5,000; 'Malta, Let's Say No More' Printed Flags 5,000
c) 300 Copies of my book titled, 'Betrayed NOT Beaten' telling of my own
experiences of Domestic Violence; signed copies to be handed out to further
raise awareness; including binding and stitching on paperback… 500pages

30 T RENT ESTA:
Category 7
a) 200 Vouchers for 'Free Martial Arts/kickboxing Classes' (for women and
children affected by domestic violence) for the first 12 months training - and
I'll take it on after that for those who want to continue training but can't afford
it; I will need hall space but we've got 12months before the vouchers expire to
worry about hall space
Conclusion:
a) As a business who sponsor us, you will be recognized for supporting a local
and humain cause that cannot be put on hold any longer, as the problem is at
epidemic proportions and
b) your business will also be mentioned on all the material we intend to produce
for the purpose of this campaign, which I hope will generate attention on a
mass scale; the booklets, DL Stickers, T-Shirts, Hats and Flags - a total of
107,000. Furthermore, a local newspaper has already promised free
advertising space to adequately expose the campaign prior to commencement,
so you as a sponsor, you will also be mentioned and exposed of that print run!
7.20 SUGGESTED PREMISES
Address: 19 Borton Lane in Pieta
My Nanna Annie lived in this address all her married life after the war and raised
eight children in it. I have fond memories of this location – there is lots of love in
this house. The owner has died and has no air and the house is in a state of repair.
When my husband and I went into this house after returning from Gozo, we found
the back wall intentionally smashed in. A man who approached us and was
responsible for renovating the adjoining property, thought he’d take it upon himself
and access 19 Borton Lane by smashing the back wall down, trying to illegally take-
over the premises. I paid a visit to the Lands Department who after dong some
enquiries of their own, confirmed that the owner of 19 Borton Lane is deceased and
has no air and therefore, the house is now the legal property of the Government.
Here in this proposal, I would like to make a formal request to be allocated 19 Borton
Lane in Pieta; with the help of some very kind volunteers, I can bring the said
premises back up to living standards to become Europe’s First Rehabilitation Centre
for Women and Children of Domestic Violence – TRENTESTA!

31 T RENT ESTA:
7.30 ESTIMATED YEARLY BUDGET
Source Description Amount
R E V E N U E
Individual Donors Tin Collection
Community Contribution
5,000 (twice a year) x2
= 10,000
Major Donors Major Banks
...for example: HSBC
25,000 (two banks) x2
= 50,000
GVT Grants The Community Chest
Fund 25,000; per year
Other Funds Property ONE (private) 35,000; per year
Miscellaneous Local Business Sponsors 5,000 (twelve) x 12
= 60,000 per year
TOTAL REVENUE 180,000 Euro’s
E X P E N C E S
Wages and Salaries (1) Social Worker 15,000
Wages & Salaries (2) Chef and Cleaner 15,000
Wages & Salaries (3) Marketing & Sales 15,000
Rent Utilities Water and Electricity/
Gas
15,000
Internet Telephone Internet and Computers 10,000
Equipment/ Supplies Renovations 25,000
Travel Graduation Trip &
Transport Services
50,000
Programme Costs Rehabilitation – Inclusion
Programme
35,000
TOTAL EXPENSES 180,000 Euro’s
The above budget is just an estimate of anticipate costs in the first year. I aim to
generate the majority of funds by way of local business sponsorship and at this point
in time, it’s simply too early toguess donation totals.
8.10 MONITORING AND EVALUATION
A comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system will be in place for all project
activities. MYOB accounting software will be used to monitor cash flow, income,
expenditures and purchases operated by management for security; and regular
reconciliations will be done.

32 T RENT ESTA:
8.20 REPORTING
We expect to make public yearly operational reports about the progress of the centre,
and a comprehensive report attached covering project activities so that the
participating donors can review how the donations given are used in accordance with
the objective of the centre.
8.30 TIME FRAME
Anticipated time lag with regards to commencement will be in the acquisition of
funds and building materials and volunteers. Once the funds are secured,
TRENTESTA will be a permanent model rehabilitation centre for other parts of
Europe, fulfilling our mission; however, this will take time and the support of the
European Union no doubt.
9.10 THE BIGGER PICTURE
What would it look like to have a working society, where women were counted
as equals alongside men and living a life free from violence?
As a community it is our collective responsibility to ensure we are doing everything in our
power to achieve safer communities for our children and our children’s children. Gone are
the days where it was once acceptable to turn a blind eye to abuse. We need to make it our
business to report any incidents of violence against womento police, that you may witness as
a result of living in the area or perhaps you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time
because it could be your daughter next.
Women are dying from this epidemic because good people in small
communities like ours are doing nothing!
I mean what’s it take to pick up the phone and dial emergency (112) as an anonymous person
to help someone in need, to help a women whois being violated and abused and next time,
possibly killed?
I want you to strongly consider what sort of a community you want your children to grow up
in; and for all those who have daughters whoone day will leave your care, I want to think
how you would feel if the police came knocking on your door one day to gave you the news
about how she died in a violent attack behind closed doors, because no one picked up the
phone when she was crying out for help?
Even if it’s not your daughter, it’s still your problem if you DO nothing!

33 T RENT ESTA:
10.10 REFERENCES
a) (http://media.wix.com/ugd/bf9277_f423df924a1243be8bb08a54ab6eac48.
pdf)
b) http://www.thewomenscenter.org/content.asp?contentid=535
c) http://mfss.gov.mt/en/DomesticViolence/Documents/seminars/Presentation
%20by%20Dr%20Naudi%20Marcelline.pdf
11.10 CREDITS
a) My children Kristen and Blake; and my Nanna Annie
b) The Fortina Hotel in Sliema; who have made this proposal possible
...and of course, thanks to God who gives me daily strength to pursue such projects.
12.10 A LETTERTO THE PRIME MINISTER
Dear Mr JosephMuscat(Prime Ministerof Malta),
I wouldlike totake thisopportunityto requestwe schedule amutuallyconvenient timetomeet,as
so to discussthe possibilityof openingupEurope’sfirstRehabilitationCentre forWomenand
Childrenof DomesticViolence,apublichealthissue thatwe canno longeraffordtoignore;numbers
are at epidemicproportionsinMaltaandon the rise.
What I would be askingof youis to appointanemptybuildingthatisownedbythe Governmentof
Malta to operate sucha project forcommunitybenefit (pleaserefertosection7.20,page 30, of this
proposal,where Isuggestedapremises at19 Borton Lane inPieta).
ShouldIbe successful ingainingyoursupport,programmeswillbe implementedwithinthe
proposedrehabilitationcentre that are designedto breakthe addictive abusivecycle of domestic
abuse, ultimately promotingsaferfamiliesandrespectful relationshipsbetweenthe sexes.
Withoutyourapproval Mr Muscat, I simplycannotmove forwardwiththisproposal,asthere isno
one else inthe positiontogive suchconsent.
Furthermore,Ihave beentryingtomake an appointmentwithyou viathe correctchannelsforthe
past 12 monthsto noavail.
Thank you, for your time and I look forward to your response - ID Card – 225213L.
...by working together and thisproject, we can be the European Leadersfor
the Prevention and Minisation of Gender Based Violence, because to Violence
Against Women Malta, Let’s Say NO MORE!

34 T RENT ESTA:
12.20 Add On Pages; TRENTESTA FLOORPLAN
12.20 Add On Pages; Equipment
L-Shaped Desks x2
Home Gym x2
Treadmills x4
Steppers x4
Classroom Desks x12
Classroom Charis x12
Computer Stations (Fully Equipped) x12
Toy Portable Toy Stations x4
Ovens/Stove Tops x2
Fridges x2
Freezers x2
Pantry Cupboards x2

35 T RENT ESTA:
Cousins for Chapel x14
Puffs for Theatre and Chapel x8
Extra Large LCD Screen x1
Queen Size Bed x1
Bedside Tables x6
Table Lamps x6
Washing Machines x2
Ironing Boards x2
Iron x2
Clothes Dryer x2
Cots x2
Pay Pens x2
High Chairs x2
Cot Mattress x2
Cot Fitted Sheets x6
Cot Mattress Protectors x6
Cot Downers x2
Cot Blankets x2
Baby Monitors x6
Lounge, 5 Seated L Shaped x3
Single Seated Couches x6
Couch, 3 seated x4
Free Standing Lockers x4
Extra Long Dining Table x1
Dining Chairs (to match) x14

36 T RENT ESTA:
Double Bunks x5
Plush Rugs x8
Vacuum Cleaners x2
Mops and Mop Buckets (4 of each) x8
Downers, Single Beds x12
Blankets, Single Beds x12
Bed Sheet, Top for Single Beds x36
Bed Sheet, Fitted for Single Beds x36
Downer Covers, Single Bed x36
Pillows x24
Pillow Cases x72
Mattress Protectors, Single Beds x36
Towels, Large x39
Towels, Hand and Face x39
Queen Bed, Rug x1
Pillows for Queen Bed x4
Queen Bed, Mattress Protector x3
Queen Bed, Fitted Sheets x3
Queen Bed, Downer x1
Queen Bed, Downer Cover x3
Queen Bed, Top Sheets x3
Queen Bed, Blanket x1
Extras: Garden Supplies and pets; 8Laying Hens; 2 PET Rabbits; 2 Small Dogs;
2 Rag Dolls Kittens;;; Day Care Facilities; Educational Gamesand Out Door
Trikes; Chapel Accessories and Statues; Starter Packs, 12 Per Closed Entry; 14
Lap Tops and Software…

Proposal Mr Muscat TrentEsta - Final Edited001

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