Children are all those persons under 18 years who need particular attention in their journey towards adulthood.
This particular attention is given in almost all countries in the European Union, through appropriate legislation and stiff penalties to better protect their children from all possible and actual abuses.
A case in point is the recent legislation enacted by the Italian parliament. The legislation in the form of three important laws, passed in a matter of eight weeks, and highlights the high level of protection the Italian government intends to give to its children.
The legislature in question dealt with controlling stress caused by too much homework – the law states that the maximum hours of homework in a week has to be 10-and-a-half hours; then there was the law which closed down all religious institutions caring for children – now they are staying in family homes housing a maximum of 10 children under the tutorship of a married couple; and the paedophile-pornographic law which stipulates that all internet service providers have to cancel from their server all websites which portray children and pornography in a matter of six hours.
These laws passed by the Italian government and by other European countries are very important for all children in the EU including Malta.
But for the Maltese government, children’s issues tend to be shelved. In fact, we still do not have a Children’s Act, and the office of the Commissioner for Children is almost vacant because the outgoing commissioner cannot work.
She has done sterling work to highlight the plight of our children; but due to lack of appropriate legislation, she could not better the lives of abused children.
The Maltese government should put children’s welfare on the top of its agenda. Children need to be protected, heard and be made to feel part of Malta and Europe.
This can only be achieved through appropriate and modern laws which reflect what is happening in other European countries.
Our laws concerning children’s welfare and best interest of the child are outdated, and need a thorough overhaul.
Miriam Cassar
FDT (Favur id-Drittijiet tat-Tfal Maltin)
– Malta Zejtun