Last Tuesday witnessed two absolutely vile attacks against two decent people - two attacks that were unconnected apart from the fact that both, in their own ways, have showed to what levels some people will stoop in defence of the indefensible.

One shows an abysmally low standard of behaviour from a political appointee placed on the public payroll, while the other shows an abysmal lack of standards from a member of the public.  Both are utterly reprehensible and both warrant immediate action from the respective powers-that-be.

The first, and the far more serious of the two, concerns the hate mail directed toward our colleague Victor Vella. The journalist at l-orizzont was on Tuesday the recipient of a heinous, shockingly xenophobic and racist letter from a member of the public whose vileness was only matched by his cowardice in having chosen to remain anonymous.

The letter, which was sent to Mr Vella at his place of work, attacked not only him but also his two adopted Ethiopian children – telling him to leave the country with his ‘clandestine’ family.  The twisted sentiments expressed in that letter have already been documented and they do not bear repeating any further, except perhaps eventually in a court of law.

It is sincerely hoped that the despicable, racist miscreant who insulted Mr Vella and his nearest and dearest on such a level are identified, brought to justice, and made to answer to the full weight of the country’s laws covering racism in all its forms.

The Malta Independent and its newsroom stand foursquare behind Mr Vella and in full solidarity with him as he and his family weather what has undoubtedly been a terrible, if not frightening, ordeal.

The second case involves one of the numerous persons of trust employed by the Office of the Prime Minister – former journalist-turned-MEP-turned-political-appointee in charge of the Prime Minister’s parliamentary questions unit Glen Bedingfield.

In his ridiculous defence of the Prime Minister’s heavily criticised pantomime of a New Year’s message to the nation, Mr Bedingfield chose to direct his angst and questionable wit toward the Archbishop who had the temerity, at least in Mr Bedingfield’s mind, to have criticised the Prime Minister’s New Year’s questionable kitchen visit.

After the Archbishop remarked in a televised interview that he hoped the next time the PM visits a kitchen that it would be real, Mr Bedingfield took to Facebook, proclaiming: “…at least the PM did not go into a children’s bedroom”.

Now it is one thing to crack an uncouth joke between friends but it is quite another to broadcast it on Facebook for the entire country to see, especially when you have been hand-picked by the Prime Minister to help run the country from a position of trust – a political appointee placed on the public payroll.

If the Archbishop had a mind to do so, he would have a hands-down, no-brainer libel suit against Mr Bedingfield.  It is doubtful that the Archbishop would go down that route, but should he be tempted to do so, we suggest he sues Mr Bedingfield for this very obvious slander, and that he donates the court-ordered compensation to a charity that helps abused children.

It is a sad fact that by the time of writing the Office of the Prime Minister has chosen to remain silent on this reprehensible behaviour by one of its employees, an employee who also has a very public persona.

The public service must lead by example and the Office of the Prime Minister should, as such, make an example of Mr Bedingfield’s most recent and very public infraction against the norms of decency expected of someone in his position. 

Anything short of that would signify that the government is condoning such behaviour, and such a message will only bring more of the miscreants who put pen to paper against Mr Vella and his family out of the woodwork.  This certainly must not be allowed to happen.