Mr Mark Sammut (The jackals and the hyenas, TMIS, 26 February) claims that MaltaToday “attacked [him] quite savagely” over his comments on the death of Ramon Casha on Facebook. He might have been referring to the outcry on social media in disgust at his lack of sensitivity for the death of those who are not members of his family.

The report Sammut was referring to was a court report (In libel case over Sammut obituary, MaltaToday tells court of son’s invective after Casha’s death, MaltaToday, 29 January 2017) on evidence this newspaper submitted of Sammut’s invective on human rights activist Ramon Casha, who had only just died a week earlier. Ironic, given Sammut’s lengthy correspondence with MaltaToday (and his mother’s criminal libel) over the umbrage he claims to have felt at the newspaper’s obit on his late father.

Readers should learn of the uncharitable words he had for Casha: “Thank God for taking this man away… yes, I understand that we should not speak bad things of those who died... I will speak badly of war criminals (even if they have left). I will speak badly of men who batter their wives (even if they have left). Because I have a duty to speak badly of evil. Ramon Casha was evil,” Sammut posted on his Facebook wall.

Someone who resorts to criminal libel should not be taken seriously when writing on freedom of the press and moral principle. But we can be sure that one can always learn silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind. Sammut’s words on the late Ramon Casha proves he is quite the teacher.

Matthew Vella

Editor, MaltaToday