PN MP hits back at sexist, family-targeted online abuse
Rebekah Borg said you cross a line when you target someone's family
Updated 6.40 pm with PL MP reaction
Nationalist MP Rebekah Borg has spoken out against a wave of online abuse, including sexist remarks and personal attacks targeting her family, after a clip of her was shared on social media.
"Politics is supposed to spark discussion. But personal attacks, especially when they involve someone’s family, are never acceptable," Borg wrote on Facebook.
On her post, Borg shared screenshots of several comments that wished death upon her - "Go get buried, you waste of society (mur indifen skart tas-soċjeta)" - that were sexist - "You should stick to washing dishes" - and that targeted her husband - "Her poor husband" (Miskin ir-raġel tagħha).
At the time of publication, her post amassed over 300 reactions and around 250 comments from people expressing solidarity with her.
She told Times of Malta that the comments came from a clip of her on TVM, shared by One News on Facebook, arguing that the PN's private members' bill that proposed enshrining the right to a healthy environment in the Constitution would have targeted village feasts.
Labour MPs opted to vote against this bill earlier this month, arguing that the bill could result in lawsuits against village feasts.
Speaking to Times of Malta, she said that she understood that receiving criticism is part of being a politician, but noted how, recently, abusive comments have "ramped up".
"Both men and women in politics can be targets of insulting comments. But when it comes to women, their achievements are too often dismissed, and the attacks become personal. Hatred towards anyone is never acceptable," she said.
PL MP Ramona Attard expressed solidarity the PN's Borg.
"No one, not even those in politics, should be subjected to this kind of insult," she said.
She said that "what is wrong is always wrong" no matter who is on the receiving end of abuse.
"I do not agree with the arguments Rebekah Borg is making about hobbies and the negative effects that the constitutional amendment proposed by the Opposition would have had. In the same way, I do not agree with the sexist and senseless comments being written on social media against her. That is not how we express ourselves," she said.