Monday, 7th July 2008 - 20:18CET

One fifth of newborns have 'unknown father'

The percentage of babies registered as being of unknown fathers has jumped from 9.2 per cent in 2006 to 19.68 per cent in 2007. The percentage in 2005 had been 7.48 per cent.

The information was given by Minister Austin Gatt in parliament this evening. Dr Gatt is the minister responsible for civil registrations.

Comments

E Grima (on 9/7/08)

Who cares about percentages? What matters most is that the newborn are looked after properly. So the taxpayer has to foot the bill … so what? Look at the picture of that child … you are looking at a human being.
Furthermore, I do not believe that those percentages are right when taken in that context. In years gone, by a bigger percentage of children in Malta than that mentioned, whether they had a father or not, went hungry as did their parents and had to beg to sustain themselves.

But now with the better life enjoyed by the modern Maltese, you still find whingers who will deny help to a mother only because the child she brought into the world has no known father. Some Christians you call yourselves.

Joseph Aquilina (on 8/7/08)

I must be wrong on this, but does that mean that 19.68 percent of all woman pregnant in 2007 were raped? Because I can’t understand how the Father can be unknown unless there was a case of rape. And if there are such a high number of rapes in Malta then the Minister must do something quick. Obviously the system is being abused! Injustice in Malta has gone out of all limits. The people who work hard for their living finish not being able to arrive till the end of the month with their salary just so that the people who don’t can!! Social services are a good thing, but there must be control. Is there any penalty for registering the baby as unknown fathers when the father is well known by the mother and her family? If not then they should add some – any make sure this ‘unknown’ father takes responsibility for what he made!!

frankie stafrace (on 8/7/08)

that,s funny for a 5min pleasure they get full benefits and us pensioners working all our lives we get a misery pension, pity i am not a woman.

Joseph Sultana (on 8/7/08)

There is a simple solution for the problem of "unknown father", but no one dares to take it.
Just deny any kind of benefits to the "known" mother and her child until she reveals who made her pregnant. WHY NOT?????????
Al fathers should pay their share of expenses after having their share of the fun!!!!!!!!
Why should law-abiding citizens bear the burden?

Paul Barrett (on 8/7/08)

This is a good case/argument/justification for a central DNA database. In a small island like Malta it has got to be cheaper and more just than the state (and here we mean the tax payer) paying support to the mother and 1 in 5 children born for many years.
These Fatherless claims will not decrease if the financial and other benefits make it more attractive to deny responsibility - especially in the current financial climate.

wilfrid buttigieg (on 8/7/08)

The system is being abused....

Marcel Dingli (on 7/7/08)

Is it only the government`s monthly cheque that they get ??

A Bezzina (on 7/7/08)

Dr Gatt may try engaging the services of PriceatersCoopers....
To try to find the ellusive Phantom-FFF..... athers.

M Grech (on 7/7/08)

This is a trend that has become both fashionable and financially rewarding. Even those who are not aware of the loopholes in the law, are ably advised to register there newborns as 'father unknown'. They then proceed to claim all imaginable, and sometimes unimaginable, benefits dished out by our benevolent government. I have met girls (yes still under 16s) who claimed they wanted to become pregnant. When confronted that it is not right that the parents would end up bringing up the daughter's offspring, out comes the claim that they can survive on the government's monthly cheque. How about that for instilling the right priciples and values in our children?

Joseph Calleja (on 7/7/08)

Nothing to brag about. I guess Malta has joined the rest of the modern world with all it's good and bad. I remember when families used to return to Malta from abroad to protect their children from all this, but now Malta has caught up with the rest of the world and lost it's innocence, too bad.... Fatherless kids, drugs, crime in general has changed Malta and I'm afraid not for the good either, I guess nothing stays the same and Malta is no exception unfortunately......

Previous article • Maltese-born judge to head English judiciary
Next article • Gonzi replies to Muscat with list of subjects for discussion

Article © Allied Newspapers Ltd., printed on Wednesday, December 3, 2008. This article is for personal use only, and should not be distributed.

One fifth of newborns have 'unknown father'

Comments

Poll

Fun Stuff

	13°C
Mostly Cloudy Feels like: 8.7°C UV Index: 3