The National Commission Persons with Disability has condemned a video clip, recently removed from the video-sharing website YouTube, showing a person with physical and mental disabilities being taunted and harassed.

The sickening video shows a man teasing a physically disabled female person on a bus. The woman tries to ward off the man making fun of her but eventually breaks down in tears as the cameraman keeps filming despite her visible distress.

The commission has asked the Police Commissioner to take all necessary action allowed by Maltese law to identify and prosecute the people who produced the video and posted it on the internet.

It said it was not against comedy, or satire, so long as the material is not offensive and aimed at making fun of people's biological differences, as was the case of this clip. Humour that in any way mocks people because of their impairments and differences can only damage any efforts to include disabled people in mainstream society, the Commission noted.

It also appealed to all disabled people, their families and especially NGOs working in the sector to show solidarity with the victims of this new form of hate-crime by condemning the bullies and demanding suitable redress.