Attacks of police officers are alarmingly regular, with figures showing that one person is charged with either threatening or assaulting a police officer every single week.

Speaking following a parliamentary question from Byron Camilleri, Home Affairs Minister Michael Farrugia revealed that since the start of 2013, 505 people have been charged with either threatening or assaulting a police officer.

The number of incidents appears to be relatively consistent throughout the years, ranging from roughly 68 to 85 per year. No distinction between the two offences was made.

It should be noted that the number of charges does not reveal the full picture, with some cases involving multiple officers. In fact, 103 officers have been either assaulted or threatened in the first eight months of 2019

The assault of a police officer or army member while carrying out their duties carries its own separate offence and is usually treated harshly in Maltese courts.

Most people charged with the offence are found guilty figures show. Over the last five years, just over 350 people have been found guilty, meaning that roughly 70% pay for the crime.

Sentencing for the crime varies, with some being handed a prison sentence, while others have gotten off lightly with either probation or a community service order.

The issues surrounding violence against Malta police officers and armed forces erupted in May 2018, after PC Simon Schembri lost an arm in a hit-and-run incident involving a 17-year-old boy.

Schembri stopped Liam Debono after noticing his car’s dark tinted windows and later found out he was driving without a seatbelt or a license. Debono has been charged with attempted murder and is pleading not guilty.

Schembri has since set up the Blue Light Foundation, which provides financial and psychological aid to first responders involved in severe incidents.

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