LESA Pushes Back On Homeless Woman Beating Claims, Says Warden Filed Police Report Himself After ‘Argument In Ħamrun’
Malta’s local enforcement agency has pushed back on claims alleging that local wardens recently beat up a “homeless domestic violence victim” who was caught squatting in an abandoned building.
“LESA is informed that there was an argument between a woman who was handed a citation and a LESA officer. This argument broke out in a cafe in Ħamrun and the officer in question even went as far as making a report to the police about it himself,” a spokesperson for LESA told Lovin Malta.
This comes after Malta’s YMCA CEO Anthony Camilleri made the claims during an interview on 103 Malta’s Heart with Andrew Azzopardi.
“We know that people then reported her after she entered this building to seek shelter in an abandoned house during the latest storms, leading to wardens entering and beating her up,” Camilleri had alleged.
However, LESA has offered a different version of events, saying that the argument broke out in a Ħamrun cafeteria after the woman was fined, with the officer filing the police report himself.
“While there are now proceedings ongoing in court against the two people involved, LESA will take steps based on the decisions taken,” the agency continued, saying that they are currently looking into introducing body cams on officers.
“At the same time, it must be addressed that beyond this particular case LESA is currently in the process of introducing the use of body cams, with the aim that in such cases there will be clear evidence of how things happened.”
“This is to protect the citizen, first and foremost, but also every officer who is doing his job according to what is asked of him.”
LESA made no mention of a physical confrontation in the statement given, but instead, referred to it as an argument.
YMCA Malta has not yet responded to questions sent by Lovin Malta. However, a spokesperson for Malta’s police confirmed the incident.
“The Malta Police Force confirms that on October 30th, a woman and a LESA official both filed reports against each other regarding an incident at a cafeteria. This after a previous encounter between the two, during which the same LESA officer issued a contravention against this female person.”
“After both parties made accusations against each other and witnesses were questioned by the police, charges were brought against both parties.”
Updated at 11.48am with official police reply
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