The head carer at Fra Diegu home was cleared of ill-treating and neglecting children under her care, after the prosecution failed to prove any abusive behaviour on her part.
Rachele Vella was targeted by criminal prosecution after a series of abusive incidents, allegedly experienced by minors placed at the home under a care order, were flagged to police.
It all began on New Year’s Eve, five years ago, when a mother whose three children lived at the institute, turned up at the Hamrun police complaining about the fact that the Fra Diegu carers had refused to buy the necessary medicines for her two-year-old child.
That report had sparked investigations at the home and a magisterial inquiry was carried out to delve further into the alleged abuse.
A number of minors testified in that inquiry, recounting how they were underfed and got mouldy bread for lunch. Another minor claimed to have been hit with a squeezer by a male carer.
Police pressed charges, including those against the head carer.
In the course of proceedings, two minors testified, shedding a different light upon the accused’s alleged wrongdoing.
One of the girls, who had been living at the home for four years, said that the head carer “did her best given the circumstances,” and went out of her way by taking them out on film nights or organized trips to Gozo.
As for food and clothes, the minor claimed no shortcomings.
Another minor likewise had no complaints about the accused, although not so about a particular female manager at the home.
When delivering judgment the court, presided over by magistrate Caroline Farrugia Frendo, observed that the prosecution had declared that it would rest its case upon the findings of the magisterial inquiry.
However, the records of that inquiry were never put forward as evidence.
This meant that the court could only rely on the evidence of the two minors who had testified in the proceedings and their testimonies had not indicated any abuse at the home.
Both girls had only words of praise for the accused who had always treated them well, observed the court.
The prosecution had failed to prove its case, said the court, thus clearing the woman of all criminal liability.
Lawyer Joseph Giglio was defence counsel.