Over 360 bullying reports made to police in 2021

Feb 4 2022

A total of 366 of bullying in schools were referred to the authorities in 2021, with the figure announced by President Emeritus Marie Louise Coleiro Preca during a press conference. The conference on justice initiatives in schools follows an incident on January 17th wherein a 12-year-old girl was filmed being attacked savagely by other students.

After the parents shared the video to highlight the problems of bullying and make it publicly known, the school has said it is taking disciplinary action and the police have confirmed that the case is being investigated. The Ex-President was referring to the statistics from the Anti-Bullying Unit which coordinates programmes against the phenomenon in schools and provides training to staff and parents.

Coleiro said that from these numbers we can see that last week’s report of the shocking bullying attack is not an isolated case. ‘There are so many children who face similar situations, some left unidentified, unfortunately’ she said. In 2019, over 500 cases of bullying were referred to the authorities. The pandemic and the ensuing measures in 2020 made it difficult to collect statistics.

However, of last year’s 366 referrals, 130 came from primary schools, with most reported from government schools (134), with only two reports from Church schools and none from independent schools. 123 cases were reported in government middle schools, with another three from Church schools and one from independent schools. 113 cases were from secondary schools, with 97 being from government schools, five from church schools and one from an independent school.

Over 1,200 sessions were held between a professional and a student who suffered from bullying. The conference was organised by the Malta Foundation for the Well-being of society in collaboration with Justice Minister Edward Zammit Lewis and Education Minister Clifton Grima.

#MaltaDaily

Shocking revelations as the Abner Aquilina case continues

Feb 4 2022

The court case of Abner Aquilina, the murder suspect in the Paulina Dembska tragedy, continued today. The suspect was set to appear in court today, but he could not attend the sitting because he was transferred to Mount Camel.

Despite pleading not guilty, several new revelations as the sitting continues emerge. The accused allegedly refused his medications several times, and went on to shave his head and show more strange behaviours. He had to be injected three times with calming drugs, with officers having to be extremely hard on him to inject him. Aquilina also said that there is a cross ready for him and he will be crucified upside down.

Aquilina also stripped off his clothes and told psychiatrists to kneel before him today, with parte civil lawyer Stefano Filletti saying that Aquilina had displayed similar behaviour when under interrogation and that he refused to believe he is mentally unwell.

Filletti said that the case reached a legal impasse as the court only has the power to listen to the case in the accused’s absence if the magistrate finds prima facie evidence for the Attorney General to issue a bill of indictment.

Filletti also said that the accused is telling people how proud he is of what he did to Dembska, with the two lawyers agreeing that they are asking the court to suspend the terms of the procedure as per the terms of Article, 402, 1b.

#MaltaDaily

Andrew’s Snack Bar beloved member Lorry passes away

Feb 4 2022

Andrew’s Snack Bar sadly announced the passing of one the iconic family members, their dearest Lorry.

Posting a sorrowful farewell on their social media, ‘a brother, an uncle and a great friend to numerous patrons, Lorry was a unique character, colourful, joyous, humorous and truly kind.’

The post by the Birkirkara food hub expressed the family’s mourning for the loss ‘but remains comforted that he is now in a better place.’

‘Good bye Lorry, we love you dearly and shall cherish every memory of your cheerful and fun-loving life.’

Our deepest condolences from the MaltaDaily team.

#MaltaDaily

MEP Josianne Cutajar becomes Vice Chair of SEArica at European Parliament

Feb 4 2022

MEP Josianne Cutajar has been appointed Chair of the SEArica Intergroup at the European Parliament, which focuses on islands, seas, rivers and coastal areas. Cutajar’s work in this role will be focused on Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) as well as digitisation. She will be working on policies that assist businesses, specifically small and medium sized ones.

The work has intensified due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the MEP also working towards a universal digital transition which incudes small business hailing from islands like Malta and Gozo. Cutajar expressed her gratitude that her colleagues demonstrated their trust in her and the work she is doing. She said this trust will translate into more work towards stronger and relevant European policies in these areas.

The Labour Party addressed the appointment, saying that as a Gozitan, ‘Josianne Cutajar fully understands the challenges that islands, including those such as Gozo which suffer from double insularity, face. Therefore, she is focusing her efforts to ensure the the European Union enters into a new pact with its islands.’

#MaltaDaily