A 47-year-old father of three is facing jail time after struggling to keep up with alimony payments imposed on him by the courts.

Joseph Pisani is obliged to pay €600 a month in alimony for the care of his children. However, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pisani says his work as a taxi driver has all but dried up and he has struggled to pay his alimony since March.

Pisani told Times of Malta that he owes some €6,100 in back payments and that he faces jail time if he fails to make up the amount before his next court date in January.

He has an ongoing separation case and does not presently have access to his children.

“This case has already taken six years and I see no end in sight,” Pisani said.

“My children are young, and I pay €600 a month, which has always been regular, but due to COVID, work has dried up and I haven’t earned enough to afford it.”

Pisani is receiving assistance through the COVID wage supplement which serves to cover his National Insurance payments and rent on his apartment.

“It is injustice that there is no mercy for those who cannot pay for a valid reason,” Pisani said.

While he has been trying to find another job in order to supplement his income, Pisani cannot read nor write which poses limitations on the options available to him.

Separation leaves people vulnerable, particularly now during COVID times

He said he wanted to raise consciousness about fathers who find themselves in similar situations, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic where a number of people have found their jobs axed or coming to a standstill due to the global situation.

“To be fair, alimony should be calculated in proportion to what you earn and not create an impossible situation by setting such high amounts,” Pisani said.

“We also need to take into consideration that the position is different for fathers who rent. We all know what rental prices are nowadays. Some end up falling victim to loan sharks in order to pay up and avoid prison.”

Visibly emotional, Pisani said his despair is further compounded on being separated from his children.

“I have always admitted my faults and wrongdoings, but my children are the greatest gift from God,” he said.

“The pain I feel is devastating, especially during these times when I know I cannot pick up the phone and say ‘Happy Christmas’ to my kids or give them presents.”

“My mother, who is 85 hasn’t seen them in years. She often tells me ‘Will I die before I see their faces again?’. At times it is too much to bear.”

From 2017 till May of this year, 120 people were jailed for failing to pay family maintenance, from the 1,517 that were summoned to court.

Noel Xerri of the Anti-Poverty Forum told Times of Malta that such cases are certainly not unique, particularly of fathers who struggle to keep up with their financial obligations following a separation.

“Such stories are certainly not unique, people are suffering and, more pressingly, their children are suffering as a result,” Xerri said.

“Separation leaves people vulnerable, particularly now during COVID times where the risk of losing your job is very real and the difficulties that come with finding new employment.”

Xerri added that imprisonment increased challenges on an individual who is already struggling financially.

“What happens when a person goes to prison? Most likely they will lose their jobs and their housing, making it more difficult to start over every time. It becomes a bit of a vicious circle unfortunately.”  

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