Admitting a child to a Church school by circumventing the regulations will now lead to the dismissal of the person who facilitated the process, while the student would be pulled out of school.
Through a set of new procedures, published by the Church authorities yesterday, personnel found guilty of admitting a child in breach of regulations will be dismissed from his post and prohibited from giving any service in any Church school or institution involved with the admission process for three years.
The child will not be allowed to start the school year but, if there is still an ongoing investigation when school starts, then the student’s admittance will be suspended.
If an investigation concludes there was a breach after the scholastic year started, then the child would leave the school after the year is over.
However, in all these cases, children are not excluded from taking part again in new calls for admission into Church schools, the report said.
These procedures, which are not backdated, are aimed at strengthening the values of transparency and justice.
However, false allegations were seriously damaging and if necessary “canonical and/or civil action” will be taken against the person making the claim, the report said.
An Admissions Supervisory Board will be set up and will be chaired by the Maltese Episcopal Conference’s Delegate, who will appoint people with “professional competence” to investigate within a stipulated time limit.
When a claim of a breach is made, it must be immediately reported to the delegate and no members of Church institutions or schools will investigate these allegations or disclose them to anyone.
On receiving a report, the delegate will receive a signed statement from the complainant and explain he is free to inform the authorities if he feels there was a criminal offence.
Even if the person refuses to give his particulars, or sign the complaint, the delegate will still proceed with the investigation.
If the allegation becomes public, “appropriate steps may be taken to repair damage done to the reputation of the accused person”.
Steps will also be taken against the person making the false allegation.
However, if disciplinary procedures are considered “appropriate”, the individual could be called for a hearing before the board.
The document, which has been agreed upon by the Episcopal Conference and the Council for Major Religious Superiors, is available at http://maltadiocese.org/lang/ en/church-schools/.