Scales of justice

The Malta Tourism Authority should consider launching an advertising campaign targeting the world's criminal community. By using the very lenient sentences that Maltese law courts tend to mete out as the main attraction, such a campaign would surely yield the most positive of results.

Recently, we have had the case of a foreigner admitting to the rape of a Maltese girl, with the sexual predator being let off with a suspended sentence, perhaps to rape again. Displaying the wisdom of an ass, the court pronounced that "....society had not suffered because of the crime". Begging the court's indulgence; in the court's opinion, under what circumstances will society have suffered because of such a crime? In other countries rapists are castrated and that part of their anatomy which is severed is force-fed to them. Whatever happened to family honour, anyway?

Next we have the case of the Silent Madonna. This person was convicted of complicity in the trafficking of Asian illegal immigrants from Malta to Sicily. Again, despite the severity of the crime in question, a very lenient sentence was handed down. If her stated purpose for entry into Malta was to study and learn English, her sentence should have been long enough for her to learn at least half the languages of the world! And if indeed she pretended to be a student of English, has the language school that sponsored her been identified and censured?

By contrast, a shop-lifter, albeit a repeat offender, received a sentence of five years plus. The Half a Century Ago section of The Times of April 6 contained a report that a certain individual was sentenced to five months' imprisonment with hard labour (even after having pleaded guilty) for stealing a cine-camera.

Another disturbing aspect of court sentences is that the courts also take into account accused's previously clean record. In the case of foreigners, how is the court to know anything about a person's previous criminal history? Do the Malta police actually consult with foreign law enforcement agencies with regard to a person's criminal record? I doubt it! Local courts rely on a person's record during that person's stay (present or previous) here in Malta.

I would caution fellow citizens against insulting Mickey Mouse by invoking his name when referring to Malta as "his" country. Such a haven of complacency, inept government, lack of accountability and a legal system that panders to criminals rather than upholding the laws of the land, would not be what that revered rodent's Magic Kingdom is about.