The first name to appear on the child offenders’ register is that of a man found guilty of having child pornography.

Others were convicted of more serious crimes, including rape, defilement and child prostitution, but were not listed

Magistrate Edwina Grima was the first to use the list, which became available to the judiciary in January, in the case of a 28-year-old who admitted the charge and told the court he was aware he needed help.

The man was one of 12 people convicted of crimes involving the abuse of children since January 20, when the Protection of Minors’ Act came into force.

Others convicted of more serious crimes, including rape, defilement and child prostitution, were not listed.

The law leaves the listing entirely up to the discretion of the court.

A spokesman for the Justice Ministry said, since January, the courts handed down 15 judgements involving people accused of abuse of minors.

Twelve were found guilty and three were acquitted. Five of those found guilty appealed.

The cases involved three cases of rape, two of which resulted in an acquittal and the third which had been appealed by the Attorney General.

The cases also involved a case of child prostitution, two of child pornography and nine involving defilement, one of which ended in an acquittal.

The man whose name is now on the child offenders’ register was given a one-year jail term suspended for two years and put under a two-year supervision order to get help.

His name was listed on June 20, a few days after The Times had obtained the figures published on June 23 showing the register was blank.

Former Justice Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici, who spearheaded the law, had called on the judiciary to make use of the “very good instrument” made available to them to protect children.

The Victim Support Malta organisation said judges and magistrates should be provided with clear guidelines on how to list people on the child offenders’ register to ensure it is implemented consistently.