Parliament on Wednesday unanimously approved new harsher penalties for anyone convicted of assaulting the police or other public officers.

MPs voted in favour of amendments first unveiled last October which will, among other things, forbid the courts from handing down suspended sentences for such crimes.

The amendments to the Criminal Code will come into force once they are published in the Government Gazette in the coming days. 

In a video message on Facebook, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri described the changes as “sending a clear message that one such case is one too many”.

Camilleri had unveiled the amendments after two police constables were assaulted by a mob in Ħamrun. Five people were arraigned and charged with that crime.

The amendments approved by MPs will apply to all public officials, not just police officers.

What is changing?

Arguably the biggest change is a provision that will mean anyone convicted of such crimes will not be eligible for a suspended sentence. The courts will however still be empowered to hand defendants a conditional discharge, if they see fit.

Suspended sentences effectively defer a convicted person’s jail term, provided they do not break the law again for the duration of the suspension.

Other changes will lead to harsher fines and jail sentences for anyone convicted of crimes against public officials.

Fines for anyone who threatens or offends public officials will rise and will now range between €1,200 to €7,500.

Jail sentences for one or two people convicted of assaulting a public officer or resisting arrest will also double, to a minimum of one year and maximum of four years. Fines for such crimes will rise to a maximum of €15,000.

Sentences and fines will be even harsher if the assault is committed by three or more assailants, rising to maximums of six years in prison and €22,500 fines.

If assaults involve weapons, jail sentences will rise to a maximum of six years with fines rising to a €30,000 maximum.

Anyone who is also convicted of violence in public will now also face fines ranging from €10,000 to €25,000 and anything between three years and seven years in prison.

In a statement, the Home Affairs Ministry said incidents of violence against police officers are down 67% in the past four years, but that the government nevertheless wants to send a message that such crimes will not be tolerated.

“These legal amendments will add to the deterrent factor,” the minister said.