1 In 10 Females Experienced At Least 1 Sexual Violence In Life

Mar 14 2024

Results showed 22.9% of Maltese individuals aged 18 to 74 experienced physical or sexual violence during their lifetime, with a slightly higher prevalence among females (24.4%) than males (21.6%).

This data was collected by the NSO for the Survey on Safety and Well-Being, concerning Malta in 2022, mirroring the EU-Gender-Based Violence Survey (EU-GBV), to assess gender-based violence (GBV) prevalence and characteristics.

Approximately one in five individuals experienced physical violence, with equal rates among genders. Alarmingly, 11.1% of females experienced sexual violence, contrasting with 2.5% of males.

Regarding sexual harassment at work, findings were concerning. Among Maltese individuals who ever worked, 27.1% of females and 11.0% of males reported experiencing it.

Different forms of harassment were noted, including staring or leering (12.2%) and indecent sexual jokes or remarks (10.2%).

These statistics underscore the pervasive nature of gender-based violence and sexual harassment in Malta, highlighting the urgency for comprehensive measures to address and prevent such occurrences.

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Ħamrun’s St Joseph High Street Reopened For Traffic

Mar 14 2024

St Joseph High Street in Ħamrun has been reopened for vehicle use, announced Infrastructure Malta.

Taking to social media, photos of the newly constructed road and urged drivers to drive carefully as the road is still an active construction site. There are still ongoing paving works to rebuild the footpaths.

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Crime Victims Could Be Allowed To Wear E-Tag, Minister Reveals

Mar 14 2024

During a parliamentary session, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri announced that the government is considering allowing potential crime victims to wear e-tags.

This follows stakeholder suggestions after the government proposed a bill for tagging perpetrators of crime. An amendment to the bill will enable voluntary tagging of victims.

Additionally, the government is finalizing the tendering process for the service provision. Camilleri also mentioned plans to provide wearable panic alarms for domestic violence victims, which would alert emergency services to the victim’s live location when activated.

The ‘Electric Monitoring Bill’, initially presented two years ago and re-introduced in October 2022, allows electronic tagging for individuals sentenced to prison terms up to one year, those under restraining orders, or facing temporary protection orders in domestic violence cases.

However, the bill does not cover individuals out on police bail for serious crimes, despite calls for inclusion from legal professionals. The issue gained attention following a case in which Jomic Calleja Maatouk fled the country while on bail for importing explosives, along with his wife.

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No Confidence Motion Against 3 Ministers To Be Debated Today

Mar 14 2024

This afternoon, the Opposition intends to table a no-confidence motion in parliament against three government ministers in light of the findings from a public inquiry into the tragic death of Jean-Paul Sofia at a construction site.

The Nationalist Party (PN) is demanding the resignation of ministers Silvio Schembri, Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, and Miriam Dalli. They are utilizing one of their designated opposition business days, which occur twice annually, to present this motion.

However, it’s improbable that the government will accept the PN’s motion outright; they have the option to propose amendments during the debate.

In July, during their last opposition day, the PN called for a public inquiry into Sofia’s death. The government, initially resistant to the idea, modified the motion to exclude mention of a public inquiry and instead advocated for a swift conclusion to the magisterial inquiry. The opposition then proposed a counter-amendment calling for a public inquiry, which was defeated, and the government’s motion was adopted.

A similar scenario may unfold this evening.

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Subsequently, the government reversed its stance on the public inquiry into Sofia’s death due to public pressure. The inquiry’s findings, published two weeks ago, attributed blame to the State for allowing legislative ambiguity to persist over the years, resulting in what it described as a “comedy of errors” in construction site legislation.

Several officials implicated in the inquiry have since resigned. However, the PN insists that political responsibility, not just administrative, must be assumed for the tragedy.

Zrinzo Azzopardi oversaw planning and construction at the time of the incident, while Dalli and Schembri were responsible for state agencies INDIS and Malta Enterprise, respectively. Both agencies were found to have serious shortcomings in their oversight of the project in 2019.

The PN motion also calls for monthly progress reports on implementing the inquiry’s recommendations, with MPs given the opportunity to question each report one week after it’s presented in parliament. Additionally, all findings from the inquiry should be implemented within six months, according to the motion.

Furthermore, the motion seeks a parliamentary apology to Jean Paul Sofia’s parents for rejecting a public inquiry into his death last July.

Architects and developers have pushed back against calls to implement the inquiry’s recommendations within six months, advocating for a more thorough and deliberative approach that respects the complexity of their sector and the expertise of its professionals.

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