The prosecution of an assistant head of school over the alleged defilement of a 10-year-old boy has led the Malta Union of Teachers to write a letter to the Prime Minister to express its “extreme concern” over the way the police handled such cases.
A meeting which involved the union, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo and Police Commissioner Ray Zammit subsequently took place this afternoon.
Anthony Callus, a member of the Society of Christian Doctrine (MUSEUM), was accused of indecent assault in an incident which took place at the Splash and Fun park on 24 August. The defence insists that he was simply helping the boy out of the water, but the boy claimed that Mr Callus held him in such a way that his private parts would rub against him.
In its letter, the union had asked the Prime Minister to investigate the methodologies being used in such cases and to make the necessary legal amendments to protect all parties concerned from a possible abuse of the system. It also did not rule out issuing various directives in the coming scholastic year.
It noted that such cases were not dealt with in a uniform manner, stating that while some cases are investigated in a “highly professional” manner, other cases lead to the immediate prosecution of alleged abusers without an investigation taking place.
The union highlighted that the police inspector who prosecuted Mr Callus was the same one who prosecuted another educator in a case that has been dragging on for over three years in the Gozo Court, and said that in both cases the people involved were simply arrested and prosecution without any proper investigation.
“This methodology is ruining the lives of educators who are involved, who end up being suspended from their work and/or having to resign, after their personal and professional reputation is literally rubbished on a simple allegation,” the MUT said.
It said that such a procedure can easily be abused, as anyone wishing to get rid of an educator simply had to turn up at a police station and allege abuse. It noted that if the Gozitan case is taken as an example, the educators concerned would need years to clear their name, and would see them incur an automatic suspension, a rubbished reputation and thousands of euros in legal expenses.
The union also argued that extracurricular activities such as outings, live-ins and exchanges abroad will definitely be affected as a result of the Callus case, stating that it has been inundated with calls and emails from concerned educators and volunteers.
The meeting at the Education Ministry took place hours after the letter was published, and in a statement, the ministry said that the parties involved agreed that whilst the children involved should be fully protected, the rights of all persons concerned should be fully respected.
A further meeting involving the MUT and the ministers for education, home affairs and justice is also set to take place in the coming days to go into the matter in detail.
The MUT's letter