Social Work NGOs concerned at register

Speaking in parliament in a debate about the upcoming Protector of Minors Register, MP Edwin Vassallo affirmed that NGOs that deal with social work are currently also “afraid that this legislation could endanger the social work aspect even in the future, even dealing with child protection.”

Reading out letters he received from these NGOs, Vassallo quoted: “one of our main concerns regards the wide range of offences dealing with the neglect and abuse of children.”

He questioned whether social workers, who receive reports like other professionals and work closely with families, will now be duty bound to report any offences listed on the register immediately to Police Commissioner. “They are concerned that this obligation could endanger their professional confidentiality,” he affirmed.

“The current bill requires social workers and other professional to report families responsible of any of these forms of child abuse to police even if these have not found guilty in a court of law.”

Vassallo affirmed the importance that this register does not “hinder the work that social workers perform and jeopardise the confidentiality they rely on.”

Vassallo also cited situations where individuals undergoing problematic separation procedures accuse their partner of sexually abusing the couple’s children.

This, he said, would be done in order to cut off contact between the children and that partner, facilitating the separation and ensuring custody in the accuser’s favour.

Vassallo said this phenomenon is a well-known fact within the courts – “how will the act cater for such a situation? Will a father not be able to see his children and end up on the register in interim while the court determines whether he is guilty or not?”

He affirmed the “need to ensure that the legislation is not used against children to deprive them from their parents when separation cases turn ugly.”