One Child Per Week Is Sexually Abused In Malta But Very Few Adults Report Past Abuse
At least one child per week is a victim of sexual assault in Malta, police figures have revealed, with time-barring seemingly having a negative effect on people’s ability to seek justice in their adulthood.
Official figures show that while there have been over 350 victims since 2008 (or roughly 30 cases every year), just 31 came forward after they turned 18.
The 350 reported cases do not even paint the full picture, with many instances going unreported, particularly in a Maltese society where abuse often takes place within tight-knit communities or amongst relatives.
In fact, the number of victims reporting their abuse has decreased over the years, worryingly indicating at a growing pattern of silence.
Unfortunately, victims of sexual assault are often running against the clock to ensure that their aggressors find justice, with time-barring preventing them from reporting the incident to the police after a certain period.
In Malta, the sexual abuse of a child is punishable by a maximum of eight years imprisonment, meaning that it is time-barred for a maximum of 10 years from the last incident of abuse.
This could go up to 15 years if the crime involved aggravating factors, such as if the abuse was continuous, carried out by a family member, or if the child was younger than 12.
To put things into perspective, if a child was molested at 7, then he only has until he is at most 22 to come forward.
Five victims have even spoken to Lovin Malta detailing how they overcame familial pressures and shame to come forward, only to be pushed back into the closet due to a legal technicality.
Questions now must be asked how state authorities and the judiciary expect young children to come forward when victims often take years to develop the courage to face their aggressors, who often live in the same household, head-on.
Other countries have removed time-barring in a bid to finally favour the victim over the aggressor. Maybe Malta should do the same.
Lovin Malta has sought statistics to identify the profile of aggressors. However, the police directed the newsroom to file a freedom of information request.
READ NEXT: Here’s How Malta Is Failing Victims Of Paedophilia And Letting Their Abusers Walk Away Scot-Free
