Junior Minister Rosianne Cutajar has spoken up against all forms of harassment after a 17-year-old girl received online abuse for voicing her opinion on the matter.

“I too, not only as Parliamentary Secretary for Equality, but also as a woman who, like many others, have also faced sexist behaviour, strongly condemn all forms of harassment,” she told Lovin Malta.

Earlier this week, 17-year-old student and swimmer Mya Azzopardi received abuse and death threats for voicing her opinion on sexual harassment following a controversial video she featured in rating women from 1-10.

“I’m fed up with people, especially men, itemising women and treating them as objects or as an item that has a relationship with being sexual,” Azzopardi said in her Instagram story.

The issue of harassment has taken a new form in online hate speech which has manifested as a result of social media. Most recently, young activists were abused online for campaigning for Malta to allow migrants to enter its borders, prompting an investigation by the Hate Crime and Speech unit.

“I consider Malta to be a country that cherishes freedom of expression,” continued Cutajar.

“It is because of this I don’t believe that it is acceptable to attack someone for expressing their opinion on a topic. Even if you don’t agree with it, you have a right to comment in a respectful and dignified manner.”

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