12 Homeless People Charged With Loitering, Denied Bail For Lack Of Fixed Addresses
12 people were arraigned in court earlier today after a raid in Marsa targeted homeless people and people begging in public spaces. They all pleaded not guilty and had their bail requests denied due to a lack of a fixed address.
Three separate hearings were held, the first consisted of ten men aged between 24 and 51 from several countries, including Malta, court reports wrote.
The raid was carried out in the early hours of the morning by the migration police and the cleansing department following reports from the public of loitering and aggressive begging in Marsa and Ħamrun.
Officers found the accused sleeping behind containers, in garages and on makeshift mattresses.
Inspector Gabria Gatt told the court that the individuals were approaching shoppers to ask for money as they put in coins to retrieve trolleys. He said that if they are detained, a care plan could be drawn up for them with the expertise of relevant NGOs.
It was reported that the ten men had to enter the court individually after tensions flared and they were all sent out.
A separate hearing was held for a 26-year-old Maltese man who was arrested while asleep on a bench in Ħamrun – this did not occur during the targeted raids. Upon being asked why he has not sought employment, he explained that being homeless has prevented him from finding work.
A Maltese woman – who had been causing a disturbance outside the court room – was then brought before Magistrate Jean Paul Gatt. She was described as agitated and explained that she does not live on a bench out of pleasure or choice. She assured she did nothing wrong and was arrested just for sleeping outside.
The woman owns a dog and refused to be separated from it, her bail was denied but the court recommended she be allowed to take her dog with her into prison.
All 12 had their bail requests denied because they do not have a fixed residence, making them difficult to monitor. They will all be held in prison until their case is heard before the Criminal Court.
The accused are being represented by Martin Fenech.