A new bill proposed by Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri aims to impose harsher penalties for assaulting police officers and other public officials.
Under the revised law, suspended sentences and conditional discharges will no longer be allowed for such crimes.
Fines for insulting or offending officials will increase, with offenders facing €1,200 to €7,500, while those who attack or violently resist officials will face prison terms of one to four years and fines between €10,000 and €15,000.
The penalties escalate if multiple individuals are involved, with jail sentences reaching up to six years and fines as high as €22,500. Assaulting an officer with a weapon could lead to six years in jail and fines up to €30,000, while public violent assaults carry a seven-year sentence and a €25,000 fine.
The bill was prompted by a recent attack on two police officers in Ħamrun, and although it will not apply retroactively, it has received support from both the government and opposition.
Camilleri emphasised the importance of deterring violence against public officials and highlighted body-worn cameras as a significant tool in reducing such incidents by 67% over seven years.
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