BishopAccountability.org
	Shattered Lives The Malta Independent May 25, 2010 http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=106585 Education, Employment and Family Minister Dolores Cristina is right. Reporting child abuse should be made mandatory, she told The Malta Independent on Sunday yesterday. As a consequence, all those who in some way or another hide abuse or prevent others from reporting it should be held accountable. One could go even further and propose that, if and when a register of child abusers is established – and one hopes that it will see the light of day sooner rather than later – people in this register could not be employed by entities or organisations that deal with children. Any employer caught doing this should face a severe penalty. We cannot continue to have situations where child abusers are employed in places where they come in constant contact with children, such as in football nurseries. So far, the Maltese law does not oblige anyone to report cases of child abuse, be they physical, emotional or sexual. But this is tantamount to being an accomplice in the crime, or hiding the same crime. And this needs to be rectified. Malta has come a long way in terms of child protection. Over the past years we have had several laws which were either updated or introduced to meet with today’s needs. The Adoptions Act was revised while the Fostering Act was introduced. The Office of the Commissioner for Children was also set up. Now we need to go another step forward. In the wake of so many scandals that have rocked the Catholic Church all over the world, including in Malta, the awareness on this type of crime has increased. The adults who have spoken up to say that they were abused by priests when they were children have opened the way for the better safeguarding of today’s children. Their courage is commendable. Of course, it is not only those children under the care of the clergy that are abused. There are many other children who unfortunately are also abused in their family surroundings, some even by their parents and close relatives. Often, these cases are not reported. Often, others would know that abuse is being committed, and yet they keep their mouth shut either because they fear the same abuse or simply to keep matters within the confines of the family. And so the abuse continues, sometimes getting worse, and many more lives are shattered. By reporting abuse – and by putting the onus on people who know it is happening to report it – there is a better chance that it will stop. Although even one instance of abuse is despicable and could change a person’s life, if this abuse is repeated and constant, matters become even worse. And therefore the earlier abusers are reported, the better the chance that the abuse stops and the perpetrators are brought to book. Although there should not be any need for having a law to report abuse – any person with a conscience should feel compelled to go to the authorities if he or she knows abuse is taking place, particularly on an innocent child – such legislation is necessary as it will hopefully push all those who would otherwise keep mum to speak up.
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