Woman admits to harassing ex-partner over their child

A court has imposed restrictions on a woman after she admitted to having harassed and threatened her estranged partner and father of her child.

Police inspector Sherona Buhagiar arraigned the 44-year-old Marsaskala resident, accusing her of harassment and making threats to the father. The police had received five reports of harassment in the space of two months, said the inspector, explaining that the incidents would happen when the accused was released from Mount Carmel hospital, where she is receiving psychiatric treatment.

The accused would appear on the man’s doorstep or at his workplace when not in psychiatric care, said the inspector, adding that some of the incidents took place in the presence of the child.

The woman pleaded guilty to the charges.

Given time to reconsider, the woman replied that she was standing by her admission of guilt. “What they said is true,” she said.

Lawyer Leontine Calleja, appointed as legal aid to the accused, requested that the care and custody of the child be entrusted to the father pending proceedings.

The prosecution said it was not insisting on imprisonment, but that the woman needed a probation officer together with other assistance.

“She knows what she did was wrong. The majority of the incidents are about the child. My interest is that the child is eventually reunited with the mother,” Inspector Buhagiar declared.

The defence explained that immediately after the accused was discharged from Mount Carmel, she was told that she wasn’t allowed to see her child. “One must understand the reasons behind her actions,” Calleja said, adding that the woman was in the process of engaging a lawyer for civil custody proceedings and was in contact with Appogg.

Inspector Buhagiar also informed the court that Appogg had been unable to contact the accused to organise supervised visits when she was not at Mount Carmel, but said that this issue was being tackled. The prosecution also requested a protection order for the victim.

After retiring to chambers for some time, Magistrate Noel Bartolo returned to the courtroom and handed down her sentence. The woman was placed under a two-year probation order. A two-year protection order in favour of the man was also imposed, together with a ban on the publication of the details of the parties.

“As right ws you may think you are, you cannot act the way you did. There are procedures available to you. I didn't send you to jail today because your lawyer tells me that you're overwhelmed,” said the magistrate, explaining that any failure to follow the probation and protection orders will have legal consequences.