After Paceville accident, Muscat calls for stricter nightclubs regulation

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has called for a thorough review of Malta’s nightclub laws, urging harsher penalties for club and bar owners caught breaking the law.

“As a government, we have a duty to introduce stricter penalties, such as larger fines and potential license revocations for club owners,” Muscat said during a meeting at Castille with the National Youth Council (KNZ).

72 youths, including minors, were injured when a glass bannister collapsed at the ClubOne nightclub in Paceville on Saturday night. Two teenage girls were aged 13 and 15 were originally certified to be suffering from life-threatening injuries, but the condition of the 15-year-old has since stabilized. MaltaToday is informed that several of the minors present at the club were found to be intoxicated alcohol.

During his meeting with the KNZ, Muscat also stressed the role that parents should play in ensuring that their children aren’t out till the early hours of the morning.

“While I don’t want to preach, I do feel that parents have an obligation to ensure that children of a certain age are not allowed to be out so late,” he said. “I think children being out in Paceville at such early hours is a symptom of social and educational shortcomings.”

Muscat also explained that the government would be looking at providing alternative ideas and sources of entertainment for young people, without creating a parallel space where entertainment is unregulated and unsafe.

“This accident should be used as an opportunity to implement the changes necessary,” he said.

During the meeting, the KNZ presented a number of resolutions to Muscat, that included proposals relating to equality, embryo freezing, and education to migrants and refugees.

KNZ president Andrew Micallef said that ethics must be taught to youths more vigorously, so as to ingrain a sense of responsibility within them.

“The absence or fear of religion has resulted in an over-permissive society, and we must educate youths without using fear tactics,” he said.