SAN ĠWANN (MALTA)
MaltaToday [San Ġwann, Malta]
July 14, 2024
By Matthew Agius
50-year old Kevin Mifsud was sentenced to imprisonment for 2 years, 6 months and inscribed in the sex offenders register, after admitting to sexually abusing a child entrusted to his care
The 11-year old victim suffered PTSD as a result of the abuse.
A former member of Christian Doctrine Society, MUSEUM, has been jailed for two and a half years for sexually abusing an 11-year old boy during organised trips to the seaside.
50-year old Kevin Mifsud had admitted to defiling a minor entrusted to his care and participating in sexual acts with the child in 2021, but sentencing had been delayed by several factors, amongst them the reassignment of the case to a different magistrate.
Prosecuting police inspector Joseph Busuttil had told magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit that the abuse itself had occurred in 2017 and 2018, the victim still bore the psychological scars.
The boy had been referred to the school psychologist at the Archbishop’s Seminary primary school and found to be suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, palpitations and nightmares. It was there that the child had told the school psychologist that Mifsud would touch his private parts during MUSEUM trips to the seaside.
From the witness stand, the boy’s father had told the court that he realised that something was wrong when his son’s academic performance had suddenly plummeted. After the matter had been reported to the Police, a MUSEUM delegate had offered to pay for his son’s medical and psychological treatment. The child’s mother testified that as a result of the abuse, her son suffered crippling anxiety that had affected his education.
The victim, now 17 years old, had also testified, giving an account of several groping incidents while on organised swimming trips to Xrobb l-Għaġin and Wied iż-Żurrieq. The sexual abuse would take place on every excurion which involved swimming.
The court heard a social worker testify that Mifsud had previously been in trouble with the law over child pornography. He had told her that frequently being surrounded with children had led to “curiosity” and facilitated his transition from fantasy to actual abuse.
The social worker concluded that although Mifsud was not suffering from any mental disorders or learning disabilities, he was in need of psychological intervention. Treatment orders were not enough in cases like his, because a long time was needed to address the psychological aspect of the problem, she said, telling the court that close monitoring was needed.
The court noted that although Mifsud had readily admitted to the abuse, he had never shown any sign of remorse. This, together with his access to minors in his teaching role, his close friendship with the victim and the fact that he had enjoyed the trust of the boy’s parents, made the case all the more serious.
In a judgment handed down on Tuesday, the court sentenced Mifsud to imprisonment for two years, also imposing a 5-year treatment order on him, ordering that his name be inscribed in the sex offenders register.
The case was investigated by Inspector Joseph Busuttil.