A women’s support NGO has hit out at the government’s decision to return Transport Malta official Clint Axisa to government work even though he faces criminal charges of sexual harassment.
The Fidem Foundation said it was a "slap in the face" for all victims of abuse and a "shocking example of poor leadership".
Axisa was initially suspended from his role and appeared in court in 2022, where he denied committing non-consensual sexual acts on a female co-worker and sexually harrassing her and another woman. The case is ongoing.
But the enforcement director was allowed to return to work last week for a different entity, Infrastructure Malta.
It is part of a new government policy that allows some workers faced with criminal charges to return to the workplace.
“This is a slap in the face for all victims of abuse, another step backwards in the uphill battle for the protection of women’s rights and a shocking example of poor leadership,” Fidem said in a statement.
“Will we ever see real change in Malta’s pathetic approach at dealing with cases of sexual harassment,” they asked.
The non-profit, which supports vulnerable women and girls through education, said it was “deeply dismayed” that sexual abuse victims are not taken seriously.
“If Malta’s government were genuine and true in its intention to stamp out sexual harassment and promote women’s rights, then the law would be applied in full, without exceptions or excuses”.
Fidem said that the decision further discouraged victims from speaking out.
Women have a right to a safe workplace, and the prime minister and justice minister should ensure that laws set out to protect women are respected, Fidem said.
The National Commission for the Promotion of Equality also issued a statement this week, saying that employers are bound to take action against anyone who, following fair internal investigations, has been found to have engaged in sexual misconduct.
"This duty applies even if there are pending court proceedings against the individual accused of misconduct. This means that employers cannot simply leave the matter up to the courts and refrain from taking action to protect the safety and wellbeing of their employees," it said.
He has pleaded not guilty to charges of non-consensual sexual acts with one victim. He also denied harassing both women, subjecting them to an act of physical intimacy, subjecting them to acts bearing sexual connotations and committing these offences, which he was bound to prevent as a public officer.
It is usually government practice to suspend on half-pay employees who are facing criminal charges or in cases of gross misconduct.
Some 121 public officials have been suspended since January 2020, prime minister Robert Abela told PN MP Albert Buttigieg in response to a recent parliamentary question
Abela said 36 public officials had their suspensions lifted and returned to work since October 2023, even though there are ongoing criminal procedures against them.