Children will be better off with proposed divorce law, Moviment Iva

The proposed divorce legislation will se children “better off” in conflicts between parents, says Moviment IVA chairperson Deborah Schembri.

Speaking in Mgarr, Deborah Schembri said that currently one in three children in Malta are born out of wedlock.

“Yesterday and today, such children suffer from a stigma, but the proposed divorce law provides for them, primarily because their parents will be given the right to marry and have the children formally recognised,” Schembri said.

She said this legislative feature had a crucial bearing on inheritance rights.

She added that the proposed divorce law also provides for children’s maintenance to be extended until the age of 23 rather than 18. “This would allow children to grow up and benefit from funding during their studies later on in life,” Deborah Schembri said.

During the press conference, Deborah Schembri also replied to criticism levelled at the movement for promoting a ‘no-fault divorce’. “Contrary to their arguments, a fault-based divorce is very negative on children because they will be caught up in the middle of two spouses, trying to pass on blame to one another. Besides, having a fault based divorce is un-necessary because the issues would be sorted out at separation stage,” she said.

avatar
P.Vincenti, just trying to be frank with you. You are either acting too naive or you are simply not street smart enough. Whether these children are from a divorced couple or a partnership or even a single parent, they deserve respect and a civil right that gives them the right to maintenance from those responsible for the situations they face. Do you realise how discriminatory your statements are and the harm to society in general as you perceive it. You have concluded that single mothers or those living in a partnership sre better off living on welfare than seeking civil justice from those responsible fathers who abandon their children whether through leaving their wives, their partners or simply creating children with anyone they feel like it. This kind of thinking and public statements are not only disgusting but utterly dangerous. You should be ashamed of yourself.
avatar
ISMA TAL GIFT FOR LOVE HUMA LUNICI LI NAFDA BHALISSA. JPO, DEBORAH U VAREST INSULTAWNI IT TFAL U ISSA MHUX HANIVVOTA
avatar
@ GOL; I am lost for words by your comment P.Vincenti. Simply pathetic.
avatar
I am afraid that the pro-divorce movement is being very mischievous. The fact is that the many children of those referred to in this article as being ‘born out of wedlock,’ are born to single mothers who do not need divorce as they were never married in the first place. The majority of child abuses happen in families were the step father is often the abuser. Children can never be better off with divorce as claimed by Dr Schembri. If anything it can only create more confusion and strife and suffering. Note - It is not my intention to enter into any discussion with any other person in this comments section. P. Vincenti - Gift of Life
avatar
@ P.Vincenti - Gift of Life. You have stated that your comments are not intended to get into any discussions with anybody, so should we assume you have posted these bias opinions for the sake of being irresponsible. Again you state that the majority of child abuse happens in families where the father is responsible. How sad that this statement is so hollow and rightly so do not deserve a discussion. But I cannot for the life of me, let you get away with such hogwash. Most children abuses whether mental, physical and sexually happen in catholic institutions because parents are forced to send their children there, either because annulment decreed the marriages never existed and maintenance is non existant or the mother is left in such dire straits that she cannot afford to keep her children because the law in malta has so far never respected the civil rights of these children.
avatar
Tant hu minnu li anke l-knisja stess tqishom hekk, li ma tghammidhomx mal-bqija tat-trabi u hdejn il-fonti tal-maghmudija, imma tigborhom flimkien u c-cerimonja ssir WARA l-altar !!. Dak timbru tal-Knisja li suppost tirrapprezenta lil Kristu !!. Xi prova iktar trid minn din ?. IVA ghall-knisja dawn it-tfal mhumiex bhal tfal ohra. Din DISKRIMINAZZJONI, ghax it-tfal jigu fid-dinja ghax ingibuhom ahna, mhux ghax iridu huma. U jitwieldu mhux fejn iridu huma. Knisja DISKRIMINATORJA u xejn izjed.
avatar
Micheal Bonanno
@JMC. Skuzi, dak il-poster qieghed juri l-verita. Why be politically correct when it's that the children born out of wedlock are bastards? We all know it! And that's what the poster is all about. It hurts to know the truth! Just ask the children when they tease one another. Just ask the children when writing about their parents at school. The truth is there for all to see and that's what the pro-divorce poster intended, by showing us the truth hitting us in the face. If divorce hurts the children, what does the Church annulment does, or for that matter separation? It's the children who always take the brunt, but at least in divorce they'll be trying for a new settlement, not years of confusion seeing their parents separated, and they are in no man's land.
avatar
Children are better off in a perfect marriage. Children are better off in a marriage of one man and one woman. What falzon silvio states can happen twice if there is the second marriage. There is no fast rule that what happened in the first marriage will not happen in the second marriage. If I have to vote no is only because of children...in the majority of cases children go from bad to worse...
avatar
Isma, jien ma nafx imma il Movimen. Mt favur hawduni hafna meta insultanwni it tfal b'dak il billboard pastaz. Jien hanvvota Kontra did darba ghax JPO insultani
avatar
Surely these pro-divorce apologists have a big misconception of what living with a divorced parent means. These are some personal insights into what I had to live thru for damned 10years: * despite all the promises my father was never there when I needed him most - my stepfather was just a jerk, for him I was an inconvenient burden. * My stepsisters got the upper hand most of the time,my mom would not take sides because she was torn between my needs and loyalty to stepfather * Had to quit school to find a job as my mum couldn't keep up on her own. * Imagine how i felt after school/work going to a 'home' where you don't belong but you just do it for your mom. So please stop this nonsense of divorce being an opportunity for a better life for kids, because that's one big lie for sure. Get real about divorce for the children's sake who unfortunately don't have a voice at the polls
avatar
I am afraid that the pro-divorce movement is being very mischievous. The fact is that the many children of those referred to in this article as being ‘born out of wedlock,’ are born to single mothers who do not need divorce as they were never married in the first place. The majority of child abuses happen in families were the step father is often the abuser. Children can never be better off with divorce as claimed by Dr Schembri. If anything it can only create more confusion and strife and suffering. Note - It is not my intention to enter into any discussion with any other person in this comments section.
avatar
I happen to have had personal experience of the trauma children go through when their parents break up. One has to be heartless to want children to relive that trauma once again after years of seperation, by making their parents battle it out again in court in order for the court to pin the blame for the break-up on one or the other of the parents, bringing in the children to testify against either their mum or dad 1 This is what "fault-based " divorce means. And this is what the pro-divorce movement wants to avoid with its "no-fault " divorce proposal !
avatar
Stepping out of the safety of the familiar is scary but here are 13 pro’s of divorce: 1.A home that is not filled with constant envision and anxiety. 2.Deep lessons that have resulted in amazing personal growth with new found confidence and self-esteem. 3.A new sense of self with a reconnection to your strengths and talents. 4.The special knowledge that comes with having survived a major life transition: wisdom. 5.A new life that is centered on what is important to you, to what you value. 6.The clarification of your passions and the ability to create a life based on those passions. 7.The realization that a crisis in life creates an opening for change that you might not have ever had. 8.A new career. 9.The freedom to do what you want when you want to do it. 10.Better relationships with your children. 11.The healing of old emotional wounds that emerge during divorce which gives you a new found freedom to create whatever you want in your life. 12.Peace of mind. 13. Retrieval of your power with the loss of victim-hood
avatar
Sure , in some cases , yes ofcourse. bad mariages that stays together are the worst , for the victim and if ther are kids - a night mare/ Bad examples, about marriage, fear, angry , worries, negativity etc.. Seperation + divorce - end of marriage is best for that mariage- thats not a marriage anymore but - Hell . I say ,"who is in a bad marriage, seek help, right away , for you and yoru children- stand up for your rights, or you will loose your dignity and your children wil suffer now, and in the future9 horrible examples) after seperation/divorce will heal slowly, to Freedom, to choose your life.