What I would really like to know is when are these ridiculous court sentences that are being handed down going to be amended?

So the mother of a 17-year-old boy who refused to go and visit his father was jailed for three months, but a “father”, who regularly raped his three daughters – one as young as 12 and one even younger – was sent to prison for 10 years only. Not 10 years per child, mind you, but 10 years for all three which, with so-called “good behaviour”, will most probably be reduced to half that time and then what? Will he be allowed to go back to the matrimonial home to carry on doing what he has been doing? Even if he had been jailed for 30 years it would not have been enough for his horrendous behaviour.

I would also like to know what sort of a mother his wife was, when she knew what was going on but did nothing about it. I suppose that this monster threatened her as well and so we let him loose in a few years time.

Another case is the suspended sentence given to a man from Mellieħa who deliberately ran over another man who called him gay, causing him a permanent disability, but then a youngster who was caught smoking a joint (not that I approve of that bad habit, either) is sent to prison for six months, thus acquiring a police record that will forever show on his Conduct Certificate and ruin any chance of getting a good job. Many times, by the time youngsters such as his one in question appear in court many years will have passed and in the meantime s/he would have settled down, got a job and even perhaps got married. And then s/he’s sent to prison, ruining his/her life forever.

What sort of court sentences are these? And if everyone admits that they are ridiculous, why is a law not passed to repeal them? I hope that the Attorney General will appeal, especially against the sentence passed on this so-called “father”. If it was up to me, I’d send him to prison for life – and I mean life – and throw away the key.

These sorts of sentences are making a mockery of the judiciary.

Margaret Camilleri-Pace

SLIEMA