Punishments for child-related offences should increase

Labour candidate Joanne Vella Cuschieri speaks to Illum about the shortcomings of Malta’s courts and how certain penalties need to change.

The Labour candidate calls for higher punishment for crimes involving children or child abuse.
The Labour candidate calls for higher punishment for crimes involving children or child abuse.

Labour candidate and lawyer Joanne Vella Cuschieri speaks to weekly newspaper Illum about her decision to contest the coming election with the Labour Party.

She also speaks about problems within the local legal system, and insists that some punishments need to be considerably harsher.

"I cut no corners when it comes to children and child abuse. The higher punishments are, the better as they serve as a deterrent," she tells Illum.

Vella Cuschieri also discusses the Court delays that everyone has come to expect as a matter of course, and sets forth a number of recommendations to streamline the system.

The Labour candidate also reacts to Labour MP Anton Refalo's fireworks ban proposal, and discusses local electoral practices such as

Vella Cuschieri also answers questions over Labour's lack of proposals, and admits that she has to face scepticism regarding Labour Leader Joseph Muscat's pledges.

Read the full interview on the Sunday issue of Illum.

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how many times have we heard the same words? the first thing any government must arrange is the family court, get rid of the police officers that are always inside the family court in plain cloths replace them by priests or social workers that can give/help all the couples that have problems, prison is not the solution in a family court, at the end of the day these parents all have children waiting for them at home and the term prison to a child may destroy there menthality to think properly. pierre gaffiero 243861 m