Court allows girl to attend ceremony

A 15-year-old girl related to Blessed Gorg Preca will be able to travel to Rome, accompanied by a social worker, and see her great-grand uncle become a saint after a court yesterday upheld an application filed by her mother.

Mr Justice Noel Cuschieri, sitting in the Family Court, accepted the application "in the interest of the minor" and allowed the girl to fulfil her dream of witnessing the canonisation while binding her and her mother by a series of conditions. While in Rome, the girl will be accompanied, on a 24-hour basis, by a social worker provided by the Ministry of Family and Social Solidarity.

In a ruling handed down yesterday, Mr Justice Cuschieri took note of the application filed by the girl's mother on May 22. The application was filed in the separation proceedings of the girls' parents. The mother asked the court to allow the girl to travel to Rome to attend the canonisation ceremony this Sunday.

The judge took note of a reply filed by the Ministry of Family and Social Solidarity on May 24. The ministry confirmed it was ready to provide the services of a social worker who would accompany the girl on a 24-hour basis.

Mr Justice Cuschieri also noted that the father had not been officially notified about the application filed by the mother on May 22. However, the court took note of the father's reply on April 3 in response to her first application filed by the mother on April 1. (This application, also requesting that the court allow the girl to go to Rome, had been turned down as the court feared the mother would abduct the girl.)

On deciding on the application, Mr Justice Cuschieri noted that in a ruling dated January 2, the mother was granted provisional custody of the girl.

He ruled that the reply presented by the ministry eliminated almost entirely the risk that the mother would abduct the minor.

The judge, therefore, upheld the application "uniquely in the interest of the minor" and allowed her to leave the island between June 1 and 5 to travel to Rome to attend the canonisation ceremony. A number of conditions were laid down.

The girl is to be accompanied by the social worker 24 hours a day, every day.

Secondly, during the trip abroad, the social worker is to have complete care and custody of the minor.

The identity card and any passport in the girl's name will be deposited in the court registry. A restricted travel document will be issued in the name of the minor for the period in question in order to allow her to travel from Malta to Rome and back.

The girl is to immediately return to Malta at the end of the trip.

The mother will be responsible to provide the social worker with flights, accommodation and any tickets she requires to attend the events attended by the minor. The mother will also notify the competent authorities, especially the passport office, about the court ruling.

Lawyer Mark Busuttil appeared for the mother and lawyer Lorraine Schembri Orland represented the father.