St Albert the Great College has made a public appeal to Prime Minister Robert Abela for "two abandoned children" to be given a safe place to stay before Christmas.

The rector, "in the name of all the primary school colleagues, is appealing to the Prime Minister so that two children be given alternative shelter. This, as the two children are in a state of abandonment in their family, and are being treated very badly by their parents."

Rector P. Aaron Zahra "confirmed that a number of reports were made both from the social worker of the Church Schools' Secretariat, the service manager of the same secretariat, and by the college rector himself to Appogg, CPS and on 7 December to the Domestic Violence section of the police depot, where he filed a report with the police."

In the report sent to the authorities, the rector said that the two children have been treated badly at home for at least the past four months. "They go to school without food, smelling of urine, clothes that haven't been changed and they even start fearing returning home. It seems that these children are being locked in an empty room, without toys, beds etc. When they go to school, they are very hungry," the statement read.

The school described the situation as traumatic for those working close to these children.

The rector said that it was hearbreaking for a 7-year-old girl to tell him: "father, I am afraid to go home because of my mummy...".

The rector and his colleagues are very worried that these children will spend Christmas in a room on their own, without their basic needs being met, the statement read.

They believe action should be taken immediately so that these children will have a dignified Christmas. They appealed for the authorities to intervene to place these children somewhere safe. They also hope justice is served. 

In a separate statement, the Catholic Education Secretariat said that together with the college and the Ditectorate for the Safeguarding of Minors it has been workimng towards a solution fpr the issue.

For its part, the Foundation for Social Welfare Services said it had found placements for the children with non-government entities. The transition towards rthese placements will be carried out in the comning days, and the college rector was informed about this before the college issued its statement, the FSWS said.

It would be wise if such situations are dealt with by professionals in the sector, the FSWS said.