Heartbroken stalker ends up behind bars
A heartbroken stalker landed in jail for 26 months after breaching the conditions of two suspended sentences and a probation, all of them barring him from approaching his former girlfriend.
The girl listed a series of incidents proving her former boyfriend's unhealthy attachment to her. In one incident, she said, he had climbed onto the bonnet of her car, grabbed hold of the windscreen wipers and did not let go until she drove off.
Massimo Tivisini had already pleaded guilty twice to threatening and annoying his former girlfriend in two separate incidents between February and May.
He was first given a one-year jail term suspended for three years and placed on probation and then given a six-month jail term suspended for one year.
Not even four months had passed when Mr Tivisini approached his former girlfriend again. He said she had called him to talk but she denied this.
The couple had been dating for around seven months before they broke up in January. But the man could not accept this and kept chasing her.
Magistrate Audrey Demicoli said that it was evident from the man's criminal record that it was not the first time he had broken the law and disobeyed court orders. For this reason the court felt it was time that a jail term was handed down that was near the maximum allowed by law.
He was thus jailed for eight months and the suspended jail terms were brought into effect, bringing the total period of incarceration to 26 months.
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ANTHEA PRESTON
Nov 23rd 2008, 10:02
I speak as a woman who has been stalked and terrorised. Men like this are control freaks and view the woman not as a human being but merely as a possession that belongs to them, therefore they feel that she does not have the right to leave or walk away. He does indeed need intensive therapy enforced upon him to confront his issues as these men are unable to see that they have done anything wrong. Ms Bossert is quite right - him and men like him are a total threat and danger to ALL women. I hope his name has been so publicised that any woman thinks twice about engaging in any sort of relationship with him upon his release.
Dr. John Mifsud (Consultant Psychiatrist)
Nov 22nd 2008, 21:31
There are many types of stalkers, men and women. They use different means to enter or interfere with the life of the victim. Many are mentally ill, but not all psychotic. In the psychotic group I'll include the pathologically jealous and those suffering from erotomania. In these, contact with reality is severly disturbed and so they may be very dangerous. Despite this, these people may not possess the mental faculty needed to be found guilty.
Others are more obsessional rather than delusional and altough also mentally ill, they are not psychotic and so have good contact with reality. They would understand that what they are doing is bad, although the ability to control their actions freely, varies a lot.
By sending the perpetrator to prison, society is being made safer, but the sick person is being punished instead of treated.
One thing is true. The untrated stalker may be dangerous, and is usually unsafe to be left free in society.
edward bartolo
Nov 22nd 2008, 20:46
Stalking is a serious issue because it renders the victim anxious, and in the long term, it may impact the victim's mental health.
This is clearly a case where psychological support is needed. The prison is not the best place to help such people.
lgalea
Nov 22nd 2008, 17:36
apgrech
Why should the girl seek counselling? She said NO and NO it should be.
The person should be extradited and never allowed in Malt again.
apgrech
Nov 22nd 2008, 17:09
Angelica, we don't know the whole story. Maybe the girl let him think that she loves him and he ended up loving her a lot and it was hard for him to let go. If there were physical threats, then he should be punished severely but if this was a "love affair" gone sour, then some counselling would have helped him and perhaps her - we don't know how their relationship was.
Joe Vella
Nov 22nd 2008, 16:47
@ ap Grech
What about psychological abuse, which in many cases is even worst than physical abuse.
The problem is certainly with the male and not the female in tis instance. Why would you want to subject the female to counseling?
Angelica Bossert
Nov 22nd 2008, 16:16
apgrech: Why should the girl seek counseling? She's not stalking anyone, he is! And forget about the "heartbroken" rubbish. Guys (and sometimes girls) who do this sort of thing are controlling, angry and DANGEROUS. Control has nothing to do with love. In the USA , thousands of women are murdered every year by guys they once dated or were married to. In fact, the most dangerous time in a woman's life is when she's breaking up with a guy. I advise the girl to stay alert and make sure she protects herself when this wacko gets out of prison. For her own protection, she should have the court issue a restraining order so that when he gets out he may not approach her under penalty of going straight back to prison. And I advise her to keep looking over her shoulders and arm herself with some pepper spray, just in case....!
Joe Morana
Nov 22nd 2008, 15:47
Being stalked cannot be very pleasant for the victim! An obsessive stalker needs psychiatric help! ".....the man's criminal record"? Did this record stem from his previous 'stalking' activities? If so, then these come under the classification of "crimes of passion"; forgiveable in some European countries. A persistant stalker should be placed under "a prohibitive injunction", fitted with a tracking device, and be confined to a house arrest form of curfew, plus be given psychiatric assistance. Individuals guilty of worse crimes have been let off with suspended sentences.
Noel Enriquez
Nov 22nd 2008, 15:28
Well done indeed, a sentence I like! Psychological abuse is just as bad as physical abuse if not worse in some aspects!
apgrech
Nov 22nd 2008, 10:47
I think it's too harsh of a sentence unless he threatened her physically. It would have been beneficial if they were both told to seek counselling.