Rape Reports in Malta Nearly Tripled over Decade
The number of rape cases reported to police in Malta nearly tripled over nine years, according to new police data.
Rape Reports in Malta Nearly Tripled over Decade
The number of rape cases reported to police in Malta nearly tripled over nine years, according to new data released by the police.
In 2015, 23 rape reports were recorded. This figure rose to 60 in 2025. Over the ten-year period between 2015 and 2025, police recorded 370 rape cases, of which 343 were female victims and 27 were male. The majority of victims were foreign nationals (219), compared with 151 Maltese victims.
The data also shows an increase in male victims. While in 2015 there was no male victim and in 2016 there was only one, this figure began increasing consistently after 2020, reaching eight male victims in 2025.
One of the year's most prominent cases involved four men accused of alleged rape, unlawful detention and assault of a man in a meat store in San Ġwann. The accused allegedly locked the victim in, attacked him and sexually abused him whilst filming the assault. Court proceedings in the case are ongoing.
The data was released a few weeks after a historic ruling in the case of Emma Agius, in which Judge Mark Simiana overturned the decision of the Attorney General not to prosecute a man accused of rape. In his ruling, the court decided that silence does not imply consent, and sent the case back for further proceedings.
The police data does not include information on how many rape cases reported result in criminal charges or reach court. Source: Lovin Malta
Source: Lovin Malta