Malta’s courts have imprisoned a woman for 40 days after finding her guilty of loitering for prostitution in Marsa two years ago.

Magistrate Caroline Farrugia Frendo laid down the law against Sylvana Armeni this morning for an incident that occurred in Triq Belt il-Ħażna on 2nd October 2019.

Police constable Charlene Delia explained that she was patrolling the area with her colleagues and found the woman, along with two other prostitutes loitering. 

Farrugia Frendo said she had no doubt that Armeni was loitering for the purposes of prostitution, noting she had been convicted of this offence a number of times before and had failed to explain what she was doing in the street. 

“The courts have always acted gently with the accused, probably to give her a number of chances to get her life in order, but it seems as though she persisted living a criminal life,” the magistrate said. 

“It cannot be that she keeps doing as she pleases and acts as though she’s above the law. She must truly and seriously understand that when you make a mistake, you will be punished by law.”

Malta has been discussing reforms to its prostitution laws for years, with both government and Opposition insisting that prostitutes shouldn’t be punished. 

Should Malta reform its prostitution laws?