Minister for Inclusion, Voluntary Work and Consumer Rights Julia Farrugia Portelli addressed parliament yesterday, wherein she called for ‘gaslighting’ to be considered as a criminal offence in domestic violence legislation.
Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation which involves the abuser creating self-doubt in the victim’s mind when they are being accused of something.
Farrugia Portelli drew on the UK as an example, where laws have already been strengthened to include the phenomenon as a crime, punishable even with a maximum five year jail term.
Stating that she is a survivor of domestic violence herself, the Minister said that abusers use language that demeans the victim by calling them mad or paranoid.
They even try to twist words, she said, by saying that the victim ‘cannot take a joke’ or ‘is imagining things.’ The Minister said that she experienced this herself and whenever she brought it up in parliament, she received the support of others who suffered gaslighting.
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Following a motion presented by Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri on Monday, Rosianne Cutajar has been replaced as head of the Social Affairs Committee by MP Katya De Giovanni.
Meanwhile, Randolph Debattista will also join the committee as a member, given that parliamentary committees are made up of three government MPs and two Opposition MPs.
This follows Cutajar’s resignation from the Labour Party after author Mark Camilleri published WhatsApp chats between her and Yorgen Fenech, who is currently being charged with Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Despite her resignation from the party, Cutajar will remain as an independent MP.
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Isabelle Bonnici awaited MPs yesterday outside parliament to call for a public inquiry into the death of her son, Jean Paul Sofia.
The 20 year old tragically died in December when the Corradino building he was working in collapsed during roofing works. The inquiry into his death was not made public, prompting various groups and individuals to call for this to be made so.
Yesterday, Sofia’s mother handed MPs a letter pleading for the publicising of the inquiry as well as a memorial card of her son.
She got a chance to talk with various MPs, including Prime Minister Robert Abela and Opposition Leader Bernard Grech.
The latter addressed Bonnici’s pleas at the end of Question Time in parliament, and urged for the holding of a debate on the issue. After the sitting was suspended to consider a ruling, the sitting was reconvened but the request by Grech rejected.
The Prime Minister himself has also been calling for the quickening of the magisterial inquiry, insisting that a public inquiry is not necessary, despite backlash by many on this point. \
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