Seven men – including five priests – were prosecuted for abuse based on referrals by the Catholic Church’s Safeguarding Commission since its founding in 2015.

A police spokesperson told Times of Malta three of the men were sentenced to jail, two received suspended sentences and two cases remain sub judice, either awaiting trial or being considered by a judge.

According to the Safeguarding Commission’s most recent annual reports, six priests and two lay people were reported to the police over the past two years and had restrictions placed on their pastoral duties following an investigation.

The police said all cases referred to it by the Safeguarding Commission are investigated.

All cases referred by the Safeguarding Commission being investigated

Fr Donald Bellizzi was last week sentenced to three years in prison on appeal for sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy entrusted in his care.

He has not been defrocked since he is a member of the Franciscan order and, therefore, technically is not directly answerable to the archbishop. Pope Francis has been asked to dismiss him.

In September, a 40-year-old priest, whose name cannot be published by court order, was charged with defiling a 15-year-old girl with whom he allegedly maintained a sexual relationship for four years.

The defence claims the woman was blackmailing the priest and preventing him from ending a consensual relationship.

Gozitan priest Fr Jesmond Gauci, of Xagħra, was, in 2017, charged with having committed lewd acts in the presence of three underage girls. He was given a suspended sentence for violent indecent assault.

The abuse came to light when former Gozo Bishop, Mario Grech, had filed a police report after one of the victims’ grandmother confided in him.