The Brussels Journal reported: “In 1994 Abdallah Aït Oud was convicted to five years imprisonment for the rape of his 14-year old niece... Three years later... the Belgian authorities, though they had promised the citizens that paedophiles would have to serve their sentences, released Aït Oud from prison prematurely… In March 2001… he abducted and violently raped a 14-year old girl.

This time, the negligent Belgian authorities decided not even to give the paedophile a prison sentence. Instead they sent him to a mental hospital. Last December, Aït Oud’s doctors decided that he was cured and let him go. He went to live in Stacy’s and Nathalie’s street in Liège. The authorities did not notify the neighbours that a man with a dangerous paedophilia record had moved into their street. Disclosing such information is illegal in Belgium, where the state cares more about protecting the privacy of criminals than about protecting the innocent children of law-abiding citizens.”

And so this horrible story goes. Even in advanced countries such as Belgium, where this horrendous crime took place only a few weeks ago, mistakes are repeated. But we can learn from these unfortunate outcomes.

We, as social workers, firmly believe that children and the vulnerable individuals have to be protected at all costs by their families and, above all, by all the authorities of the countries.

Unfortunately, research shows that only a very small number of sexually abused children reveal the truth about the abuse they suffer since the perpetrator usually threatens them with their and their families’ welfare.

In Malta we have no mechanisms whatsoever to protect the innocent from convicted paedophiles. More often than not, the names of these are not made public, since it might reveal the identity of the victims. However it is of the utmost urgency that the authorities create some kind of register, which is easily accessible to the general public, where the identity of these convicted pedophiles is kept. Although unfortunately this will not eliminate abuse completely, at least it would protect children from having a convicted paedophile put in their midst.

We are not condemning the person who does the crime but the actions which cause a lifetime of harm and hardship to the victims. The authorities also have a duty towards paedophiles. They should be given therapy as is their right. Also therapy is necessary as it could lessen the risk of the crime being repeated.

We believe that this is not some kind of hysteria. We agree that each and every citizen has the right to live in a healthy and protected environment and it is our duty to provide it.

Again, we as social workers, condemn the negligence directed at the vulnerable and we will vouch that, in the course of our work, we will do our utmost to safeguard the welfare of our clients in all respects, especially those under these circumstances.

Frances Mallia

Communications Officer

Maltese Association of Social Workers