Punishment did not fit the crime (1)

It is with disbelief and great disgust that I read of the case of the 65-year-old driver jailed for seven months for the violent indecent assault on a 12-year-old girl he picked up to take to school two years ago.

In handing down sentence the magistrate, Lawrence Quintano, noted that the offender, Nazzarenu Abela, could have spent a year behind bars for this "deplorable" act. What, a whole year? May I ask the good magistrate how deplorable an act must be before it attracts a proper punishment to fit the crime?

The magistrate further noted that the girl forgave her attacker, which I believe she is quite entitled to do, but that does not excuse the court for allowing the offender to escape the full brunt of the law. Society demands justice and to have its children protected.

The magistrate noted that the offender had a rather clean criminal record so this gave the court an opportunity for further leniency.

Further questions need to be asked. Why did the Attorney General not include the charge of holding the girl against her will? If the girl was taken to a place which, as she described it, was unusual and didn't want to be there, that must be enough grounds to charge the offender with holding the girl against her will.

This crime should strike at the heart of every Maltese parent and for the offender to escape real punishment is a sad indictment not only on the courts but also on the whole Maltese nation Malta must not be allowed to become a haven for these child sexual molesters.

It amazes me how the Maltese take the high moral ground on issues such as divorce, premarital sex, abortion and stem cell research yet many still ignore the issue of sexual abuse of children. Even the Vatican acknowledges it by paying millions to the victims of preying priests.

Forget The Da Vinci Code. I couldn't think of a better reason to hold a Rosary vigil outside the courts.