'No second chance' for paedophiles

Dolores Cristina, Minister for the Family and Social Solidarity, plans to take effective action to ensure convicted paedophiles do not come into contact with children.

Stopping short of specifying what measures she had in mind, she said convicted paedophiles should not be given a second chance to come in contact with children.

"From a humane point of view I would say everyone deserves a second chance but in such cases I would not want children to be at risk," she said.

It was recently revealed by Foundation for Social Welfare Services CEO Joe Gerada that the Malta Football Association had allowed a convicted paedophile to keep his job as a groundsman at the Pace Grasso ground in Paola, even after being informed of the matter.

Apart from being used for the MFA's activities, the facility, which is owned by the government, was also made available to Guzè D'Amato School students as a playground.

The association only terminated the man's employment at the end of the football season, four months after he was found guilty of defiling a 13-year-old boy in December 2003.

The MFA's stand has caused outrage in several quarters.

Interviewed during a radio programme last Saturday, Mrs Cristina said she expected MFA president Joe Mifsud, to apologise and when pressed further said she believed the MFA should remove Dr Mifsud.

When contacted for his reaction on Saturday, Dr Mifsud said: "Do you think I should give the minister any explanations?"

Mrs Cristina said yesterday she did not need an explanation because she knew exactly what had been happening over the past few weeks and how resistant Dr Mifsud was to suggestions that he remove the groundsman.

"But he certainly owes an explanation to all the parents who entrusted their children to his care and he owes an explanation to the country as a whole. It is not only ministers who owe the public an explanation but every person who occupies a post that carries responsibility, especially when that responsibility concerns children," she said.