Authorities urged to arrest growth of hate crimes

The arson attack on the car and front door of Jesuit Refugee Service assistant director Katrine Camilleri was condemned by political parties and NGOs yesterday, with most calling on the authorities to take urgent action on what appears to be a spate of hate crimes.

Contacted by The Times, Police Commissioner John Rizzo said investigations into this case were still in their early stages and one could not speak of any breakthroughs. The police are looking into all avenues using a combination of the force's best units.

"We are seeing this crime as an act of terrorism because here we have some individual or group trying to silence others by using fear. It needs to be treated very seriously," Mr Rizzo said.

The Police Commissioner said the attack on Dr Camilleri's property in the early hours of Tuesday bore a great similarity to the attack on the seven Jesuit cars destroyed at St Aloysius' College, in Birkirkara, a month ago.

In both incidents, the cars and Dr Camilleri's front door were set alight in the middle of the night and this happened immediately after the Jesuits made public statements in favour of the rights and dignity of refugees.

Besides the attack at St Aloysius College, two cars and a motorcycle belonging to the Jesuit community at Tal-Qroqq, Msida, had also been torched in November.

"That seems to be the most plausible link so far. Experience shows us that nothing should be taken for granted or left to chance," Mr Rizzo said, promising that the police would keep on investigating the cases diligently.

Nationalist Party general secretary Joe Saliba condemned the attack on the lawyer's property and called on the police to nail the culprits.

"I believe that your work within the JRS and as representative of NGOs on the task force on immigration is very important for the country. Above all, it is a noble cause in favour of people who have become victims of situations over which they have no control," Mr Saliba told Dr Camilleri in a letter.

Alternattiva Demokratika's spokesman on immigration issues, Stephen Cachia, said that the situation is rapidly becoming most serious with a rapid surge in cases of cowardly violence and intimidation against persons working to support the rights of refugees.

Labour Home Affairs spokesman Gavin Gulia called for more transparency in the outcome of police investigations into these attacks which he defined as "a threat to democracy".

He called on the Police Commissioner to call a press conference on the issue, and to set up a task force to address vandalism and violence motivated by racial hatred. "If such a task force already exists it should be given publicity so that the perpetrators would know that the police are on the lookout," Dr Gulia said.

The opposition spokesman said penalties for such acts should be increased as current laws are not deterring such crimes. "In this context, people operating websites hosting electronic messages of hatred or encouraging violence should be made more responsible," Dr Gulia said.

He added there was no room for complacency and that the first signs of racial violence should be met with a decisive reaction by the authorities.

In a message published on Tuesday, the Chamber of Advocates said it cannot but see a connection between the attack on Dr Camilleri and the incident in which the Jesuits' cars were set ablaze a month ago.

The Emigrants and Refugees' Commission also expressed solidarity with Dr Camilleri and the JRS.

"The work of organisations like JRS and the Emigrants Commission should not be hindered by such acts," the commission said, adding that these acts were tarnishing Malta's name.

The CEO of the Foundation for Social Welfare Services, Joe Gerada, said persons such as Dr Camilleri, who render service to individuals greatly in need of social protection, should in no way be intimidated for carrying out their duty.

"Resorting to vicious and unjustifiable acts to terrorise front line workers only serves to strengthen the determination in doing what is just and right," Mr Gerada said.

Support was expressed by the national platform of Maltese non-governmental development organisations (NGDOs) made up of the Centre for Faith and Justice, the Jesuit Refugee Service, Kare4Kenya, Koperattiva Kummerc Gust, Kopin, Moviment Graffiti, Share Foundation, SOS Malta, Third World Group and Voluntiera Lajci Missjunarji

"The more recent arson attacks remind us how serious the situation is. It is beyond doubt that the motive behind such attacks is once again racism and xenophobia. This matter cannot be talked about only when such incidents occur, and forgotten soon after. Work combating racism and xenophobia needs to be carried out on a daily basis, in churches, schools, the media and private homes.

"We cannot wait to see who the next target is going to be. Those responsible for these attacks need to be prosecuted immediately. Moreover, legal provisions need to be enacted urgently to punish hate speech and hate crimes," the NGDOs said.