Zero Tolerance For Abuse In The Police Force, Home Affairs Minister Says After Sergeant Charged With Rape
Malta’s Home Affairs Minister has reacted after a veteran police sergeant was arrested and charged with raping a woman in Qawra in a case that has shocked the island.
“Without commenting on individual cases, I must emphasise that the Police Force has zero tolerance for any abuse that takes place and recently a number of policies have been implemented in this regard,” Byron Camilleri told Lovin Malta.
“Just this morning I launched the Victim Support Agency whereby for the first time, the Ministry for Home Affairs is investing in an agency to provide a holistic service to victims of crime,” he continued. “This is because we truly believe that we should provide victims with the necessary support too as they go through a difficult time.”
His words come after the shocking revelation that sergeant Glen Carabott, 40 from Mtarfa, is accused with raping a woman who called the Qawra police station for assistance after suffering a robbery.
It is being alleged that Carabott raped her when visiting her to provide assistance on the 16th April. After the act, he did not file a follow up police report nor initiate investigations in an attempt to find the woman’s stolen items, raising alarm.
In court, it emerged that there was footage of the incident on Carabott’s mobile.
“The police is committed to strengthening its services and will not tolerate any allegations that shed a bad light on its work,” Camilleri ended.
Carabott is a former UN peacekeeper who had been stationed in Kosovo during his 18-year-tenure.
He had made the news in 2018 after he famously discovered a baby that was abandoned in Bugibba.
Several people who knew Carabott took to social media saying they couldn’t believe that he was involved in something like this; others said there was something fishy about the fact that there was footage of the alleged rape, wondering why he would take such incriminating footage.
Speaking to Lovin Malta, a high-ranking police official noted that while Carabott had previous issues, including in relation to his time in Kosovo as well as when he was stationed at another police station outside of Qawra, the force was shocked to hear he had been accused of such serious crimes.
“It’s heartbreaking for us, let alone for the public to see these things,” they told Lovin Malta. “He is nearly certainly facing prison time, apart from losing his place in the corps – but we cannot tolerate these acts at all, we are meant to protect these people from every angle. I just don’t understand how this happened, this may be why people lose faith in police…. Even I don’t know who to trust sometimes.”
Carabott has been remanded in custody and was not granted bail. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
What do you make of this case?
READ NEXT: Malta's Sports Minister Reacts To Ian Borg’s Comments On Outdoor Gyms… But Don’t Hold Your Breath
