A new policy obliges voluntary organisations to alert the NGO commissioner whenever an allegation of abuse or aggression is made, in a bid to ensure all such claims are properly investigated.
The new policy, announced by Commissioner Jesmond Saliba on Tuesday, requires all registered voluntary organisations to email safeguarding.cvo@gov.mt whenever they receive reports of abuse.
Workers, volunteers, or anyone who receives a service from an NGO can also report such cases confidentially, using the above-mentioned email address.
All reports that are received will be passed on to the police for investigation, Saliba said.
The new policy seeks to ensure that all potential instances of abuse are assessed by the police as potential crimes, rather than left up to voluntary organisations to investigate and report.
While larger voluntary organisations may have clear guidelines for how such cases should be handled, many smaller ones do not.
Saliba noted that, by law, abuse cases may be a criminal matter, a civil one, or both. It will now be up to the police to decide whether allegations merit criminal action or not.
Concerns over reporting practices
There has been significant controversy over how organisations handle abuse claims in recent months.
In the highest-profile incident, police pressed charges against Malta Philharmonic Orchestra CEO Sigmund Mifsud for attempting to tamper with evidence and obstruct an investigation into a sexual harassment claim made by an MPO employee.
The police only learnt of that claim after the employee went directly to them.
In a separate case, the NGO commissioner stepped in to appoint an administrator to temporarily run YMCA Malta, after a person made sexual abuse allegations involving the organisation.
Commissioner Saliba reported that allegation to the police and temporarily suspended YMCA Malta’s compliance with the Voluntary Organisations Act.
YMCA suspension lifted
On Tuesday, Saliba said that he was revoking that suspension with immediate effect, after ascertaining that YMCA has the “necessary safeguards” in place to handle allegations of harassment or allegations of sexual abuse.
“This association has always put into practice these safeguards when this was required and in a professional matter, both when the allegations were proven or when through the same measures, it was determined that they were not,” Saliba said in a statement.
The revocation means YMCA Malta is once again compliant with local NGO laws and can raise funds, offer services and operate as it would normally.
Police are still investigating the allegations made about the organisation and the administrator appointed last month to oversee work at the YMCA, Charles Cassar, will maintain his role for the time being.