Inclusion and Quality of Life Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli has said that ridiculing people who have a disability and spreading hateful comments and actions against them will become a crime punishable by imprisonment. 

The proposed changes to the Criminal Code were approved by the Cabinet and Minister Farrugia Portelli put forward the first reading during parliament on Monday. 

The changes put forward by Farrugia Portelli will provide greater protection at Law to disabled people and address a number of calls that have been made by the Commission for Disabled Persons in order to make hate speech against disabled people a criminal act.

The law as it is today solely provides protection against hate crimes to a number of groups and minorities in society but does not directly address hate crimes concerning disabled persons. 

“It is unacceptable and not okay for a disabled person to be ridiculed, humiliated or attacked because of their disability,” Minister Farrugia Portelli said. 

“Despite the fact that we are in 2021 we still have cases like those of Raisa and PN MP Kevin Cutajar who suffered verbal abuse because of their disability,” Minister Farrugia Portelli said. 

She also added that these legal changes will also give the Malta Police Force the ability to take criminal action when such cases arise.