Exclusive: Żejtun Man Outraged At Lack Of PL Action Against Councillor Who Beat Up His Wife At Mater Dei
A man whose wife was publicly attacked in Mater Dei by a Żejtun councillor cannot believe the aggressor is still on the local council – even after a court found him guilty of the crime.
Anthony Abela, from Żejtun, spoke to Lovin Malta in the wake of the injustice he faced after his wife Angela was injured by councillor Gesmond Baldacchino in hospital whilst visiting her mother who at that time was undergoing medical treatment.
The incident occurred after a family argument arose between his wife Angela and her sister, who is the wife of Baldacchino.
During the argument, Baldacchino punched Abela’s wife in the neck.
In the court case over the incident, the court heard how security officers didn’t intervene as the fight escalated between the family members.
After the fight, the Abelas went to a health centre and reached out to lodge a police report as per procedure.
At the conclusion of the court case, Baldacchino was found guilty and given a one-year suspended sentence and a €2,000 fine should he breach said conditions imposed on him by the court of law.
He’s also not been disciplined by the Labour Party over his physical attack on a woman.
In the wake of the lack of action in the face of violence, the Abelas feel like no one is able to hold Baldacchino to account for his violent actions – even after being found guilty in court.
The Abelas have spoken to a number of authority figures in the government and the Labour Party – however, they feel shunned that no one seems to care or want to take action against this horrid feat.
In the face of no action, the Abelas feel that Baldacchino is being “heavily guarded and protected by the Labour Party’s umbrella”.
PL President Ramona Attard told Lovin Malta that the party has spoken to Baldacchino about this incident and warned him that similar episodes won’t be tolerated in the future.
“The PL took note of the sentence and considered the type of sanction the court deemed appropriate in this particular case, ie. a guarantee, as well as the fact that this was an isolated incident,” she said. “The PL warned [Baldacchino] that similar future episodes won’t be tolerated.”
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