The crimes occurred four years ago in a residential home where he would consistently harass underage girls by touching them and offering them money for sexual favours.

The first two victims testified through video conferencing.

The first victim said that she came to Malta a few months before the harassment began. She explained that the residency housed both boys and girls, with the girls residing on the lower floor.

The residency, she said, was supervised by the home coordinator and workers, including the accused.

She went on to say that whenever Bugeja was on duty, he would visit her room in the early hours of the morning and offer her €‎50 in return for sexual pleasures.

“He used to wake me up and ask me to follow him. He would wave a €‎50 note, tell me something and expose his private parts. He sometimes even woke me up by splashing water onto my face,” she said, according to a court report by TVM.

Meanwhile, the second girl claimed that Bugeja began acting inappropriately within the first week of her stay at the residence.

On one occasion, he even tried to convince her to sleep with him.

“Once I bent down to pick up the washing and he came around from behind me, touched my backside and offered me €‎20 to sleep with him,” she recounted.

The witness stand was then approached by the third victim who stated that she had been living at the residence for around six weeks when the crime took place.

“Once I was in bed and I saw the accused stroking the legs of one of the victims while she was crying. The girl told us that the accused had offered her money for sexual pleasures and had shown her his private parts.”

“On one occasion, he had even asked me to kiss him,” she continued.

The fourth and final victim said that Bugeja would wake the girls up by splashing them with water.

The Court declared that it did not think that Bugeja’s behaviour called for a prison term. Rather, the Court Magistrate Claire Stafrace explained that the most ideal punishment for the accused would be community work and a fine. He was also ordered to pay €‎2,334.55 in court expenses.

The prosecution also charged Bugeja with carrying out illegal acts while a public officer and with an offence against morals due to indecent behaviour in a public place. However, the Magistrate did not find him guilty of these two charges due to insufficient evidence.

Despite his behaviour raising multiple red flags that indicate him being a danger to society and more specifically, children, Bugeja was still given a lax punishment that includes no rehabilitation or distance from other underage children.

This, once again, highlights systemic flaws in our judicial structures which overlook warning signs and thus pave the way for more serious crimes to be committed.

What do you think about the Court’s decision?