Woman to be charged over daughter's abuse

A Mosta woman expected to be charged with mistreating her six-year-old daughter faces up to a year in prison.

The girl was on Monday evening rescued by Civil Protection personnel and police officers from the house where her mother lives with her partner.

Sources said neighbours have been filing complaints about the girl's case for several months. In January she had been taken away by social workers but the girl somehow ended back with her mother and her ordeal continued.

The neighbours called the police on Monday when they heard the girl crying and realised she had again been locked alone at home.

Neighbours told the police the girl often spent hours locked in the balcony or outside the house. It was not the first time neighbours lowered food and drink to the girl in a bucket on seeing her locked in the balcony for hours on end, the sources said.

When the police arrived yesterday and no one opened the door, Civil Protection personnel were called in and Natalino Bezzina abseiled down and found the girl in a filthy room full of cats.

The girl was dirty and in a pitiful state and was found to have been using the floor for her toilet needs, or the balcony, just as the cats did when she was locked for long periods with them on her own.

Civil Protection director Peter Cordina said it was decided not to break down the door to get to the girl so as not to frighten her. "The girl is so sweet you'd want to take her home with you," he said when contacted yesterday. "When she saw Mr Bezzina abseiling to get to her she told him he was like Spiderman", Mr Cordina said.

A doctor who was called to examine the girl will draw up a report about her condition.

The girl has now been handed over to social workers and an emergency care order has been issued.

Inspector Joseph Mercieca is heading investigations.