The Council for Children’s recent call for an amendment to be made to the Maltese law, requesting that all prospective employees who will be working with children must provide a police record (fedina penali) with their job application, should be given priority by the authorities concerned.

It should not take much to make the necessary amendment which, after all, is intended to protect children from abuse. In this, it is believed that the government should find the support of the opposition.

Commissioner for Children Sonia Camilleri also called for a short-term proposal to oblige employers to screen all applicants for any job involving childcare or the supervision of children. Although some entities already require a certificate of good conduct, it was pointed out that such certificates cover only a few months before the date of application.

A full criminal record would immediately reveal any history of abuse, and eliminate the possibility that people with a criminal record involving child abuse of any sort could not be accepted in jobs where they could come in contact with other children, with the possibility of repeating their offence.

“In this way, if there is a criminal record of child abuse or paedophilia, it will be known prior to employment,” Ms Camilleri insisted.

The proposals submitted should not create any political controversy and should, if there is a will, be implemented as soon as is possible. Parliament has stopped for the summer recess but such an item should be among the first to be discussed when it reconvenes in late September.

But this should perhaps be only the first step to eliminate the possibility of child abusers, including paedophiles, working with children. The matter should not stop with people who are seeking new employment. All those who are already working with children ought to be screened and anyone who has been found guilty of such offences should be removed too.

One important comment made in the press statement published by Ms Camilleri was the fact that the council recognised citizens’ rights to a fair trial and also the need for appropriate professional intervention, but at the same time it was the council’s priority to “discuss, suggest and ask for improved ways of protecting children against any form of abuse, including paedophilia”.

What the council was referring to was the fact that paedophiles are very often repeat offenders, and therefore once convicted and having served their punishment, they should never be allowed the possibility of working with children again because there is a greater possibility that offences in the past could take place once more.

Of course, it does not necessarily follow that all convicted child abusers had previously worked with children. There are many cases of paedophilia that occur in different circumstances, such as in homes or via the internet.

But taking precautions as those suggested by the council would go a long way in preventing child abuse, at least in the social areas mentioned by the council.

The council has considered different areas of society that are frequented by children, such as schools, religious education classes, sports, drama, music and art sessions, as well as other social activities.

Unfortunately, the number of cases of child abuse that are coming to light are on the increase, and many times these have taken place in the circumstances mentioned by the council.

It is therefore imperative that the authorities act, and act quickly.

It is a known fact that a child who is abused – in all ways – suffers a trauma that is hard to overcome. And therefore every possible effort should be made to cut down on the number of children who are abused.

The idea brought forward by the Council for Children is only one of them.