600 children living in welfare due to harmful family environments

Social solidarity minister Michael Farrugia revealed that there are currently 600 children placed under care orders, meaning that they are placed under state custody due to the precarious nature of their family environment.

In 2012, 353 children were reported as having been placed under care orders.

“This is over and above the unaccompanied immigrant minors who arrive in Malta,” Farrugia said during the second reading of a draft crimes victim bill in Parliament. “For such a small island, this is very worrying and more education is needed to prevent so many children becoming victims of their own families.”

He also praised the effects of a  scheme launched last March, whereby 10% of prisoners’ income is deposited into a fund that crime victims are allowed to tap into.

“A lot of prisoners feel honoured that a portion of their wage goes to this scheme,” Farrugia said.  

‘Rehabilitation should include criminals making amends to their victims’

In his intervention, Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela said that prisoner rehabilitation programmes should include schemes whereby criminals are able to make some sort of amends to their victims or their victims’ families.

“Around 43% of the current prison inmates are relapses, which is far too high a rate,” Abela said. “It’s crucial to offer prisoners rehabilitation because, after all, fewer relapsing criminals equals fewer victims.      

He also called for further investment in the police force, with regards modern technology that will help them carry out their investigations at a faster and more efficient rate.

“Such investment is particularly crucial at a time when criminality has become more sophisticated,” Abela said.

He pointed out that the police are often the first contact point for victims of domestic violence and, as such, should be properly trained in how to handle such cases.

“My dream is for police stations to allocate a section whereby victims of domestic violence will be able to speak privately and confidentially with the police,” he said.

‘A one-stop-shop for victims of domestic violence’

In her intervention, Labour MP Deborah Schembri called for the introduction of one-stop-shops for victims of domestic violence, such as exists in the United Kingdom.

“This building should offer domestic violence victims the services of health professionals, police and psychologists, and victims should also be allowed to use it as a night shelter if needs be.”  

He also pointed out that while the state offers legal aid to people accused of a crime who cannot afford a lawyer, it does not offer similar services to the victims of the accused. This, she said, could lead to victims not fully understanding their rights and not being notified of court cases.

“If, for example, a woman files 20 separate cases of domestic violence against her spouse, she could actually testify in the courtroom without knowing which of those cases she’ll be testifying for beforehand,” Schembri said.