A total of 729 items worth €106,376 were stolen from Malta’s schools over the past eight years, figures tabled in Parliament show. 

The information was provided by Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri in response to a question by Opposition MP Karol Aquilina. 

According to the information provided, 2018 was the year during which the highest number of items were reported stolen, with 186 reports filed with the police. 2019 was the year during which items of the highest value were stolen, with thieves making away with a total of €29,547 worth of items. 

The stolen items include a megaphone, a kettle, tools, furniture and a host of other items.

Replying to an identical question, Education Minister Justyne Caruana said that two people had been charged with theft from schools

The educational institution to have suffered the most thefts over the eight-year period was the University of Malta with 144 items stolen. 108 items were reported stolen from the university’s library during the same period. MCAST’s Paolo campus suffered 87 thefts. 

Computer and telephonic equipment were the two most valuable categories of items to have been stolen since 2013 – €26,848.19 and €23,756 respectively.  

€13,700 worth of power tools were also stolen over an eight-year period. 

There have been 14 thefts with a value of €430 so far this year.

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