Family Minister Michael Falzon is open to the idea of removing time-barring in sex abuse cases involving children and is ready to start discussions with the Justice Ministry to set the ball rolling.
The minister was reacting to a story published last week which quoted a number of bodies calling for the removal of time-barring in cases of child sexual abuse, mainly because victims only pluck up the courage to speak about their ordeal after several years.
The call was made after it emerged that former Xagħra archpriest Eucharist Sultana had avoided criminal proceedings for sexually abusing an altar boy for four years.
Sultana was never taken to court because the case against him was time-barred but the Vatican still found him guilty of abuse and banned him from ever again exercising his functions as a priest, including administering any sacraments.
There are pending criminal proceedings against another two priests, whose names cannot be published by court order, who stand charged with sexually abusing another altar boy between 2003 and 2005. One of them is also charged with raping the boy.
The Church’s Safeguarding Commission, the Lisa Maria Foundation and the Malta Association of Social Workers were united in their call for the removal of time-barring for child sexual abuse.
Commission head Andrew Azzopardi said: “I am guided by my experience supporting victims of abuse and the barriers they face to speak up, particularly in a small country like ours.”
The criminal justice system needs to be child-focused and informed by the effects of trauma
However, he stressed that the removal of time-barring alone was not enough and had to be accompanied by other measures.
“The criminal justice system needs to be child-focused and informed by the effects of trauma. Lawyers who send threatening letters to try to silence victims should be disciplined by courts and the Chamber of Advocates.
“The media should also be very cautious when reporting specific details of abuse.
“While some victims might be encouraged to come forward to tell their story, others will go deeper underground due to the fear of being exposed,” Azzo-pardi said.
Reacting to the story, Falzon said: “I have read this report and I would like to state publicly that I am aware of all that has been said.
“As minister responsible for child welfare, I will be speaking to Justice Minister Edward Zammit Lewis to see how we can address this situation. We know that abused children and their families experience trauma that lasts for years.”
He added: “I am also ready to enter into a discussion with everyone working in the field to ensure that justice is being done and is seen to be done.”
Malta’s legal system allows for time-barring in the case of criminal sexual offences, where prescription starts to run from when the victim reaches the age of 18.