If you keep fighting you risk having your daughter doing drugs or committing suicide, a magistrate warned a couple going through separation proceedings.

The woman was allegedly punched in the face and the man hit by sandals

The two appeared before Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit after allegedly coming to blows inside a church at their eight-year-old daughter’s First Holy Communion in a case described by the magistrate as “shameful”.

Referring to previous sittings on cases involving incidents between the separating couple, the magistrate noted that whenever she had tried to mediate she had either been ignored or her words were used by the couple as ammunition against each other.

Both parents and family members were charged over an incident that happened on June 2 last year at Our Lady of Mount Carmel church, Birkirkara.

The alleged incident occurred at the end of the ceremony, when photos were being taken.

According to sources, the officiating priest had come out of the sacristy to find a group of people fighting.

The group was escorted outside, where another fight broke out between the mother and the father.

The woman was allegedly punched in the face and the man was hit by a pair of sandals. The priest intervened and the police then arrived, sources said.

Lawyer Michael Sciriha, appearing for the mother and her family, said that a solution had to be found, adding that each side believed it was right.

Magistrate Stafrace Zammit quipped that neither side was right.

Requesting permission to speak, the mother said that she did not want family members from either side to take photos at the First Holy Communion ceremony. A photographer had been hired.

The father said that, although he had paid for the photos, he still did not have any copies, a claim contested by the mother.

The magistrate suggested that a child psychologist be appointed to listen to the child in the civil case before the Family Court for the parents to understand what damage their fighting was doing to the girl.

Lawyers Robert Abela and Albert Zerafa said they would make such a request as soon as possible.

At the end of the sitting, the mother handed over two photographs of the ceremony to her estranged partner.

The magistrate ordered that the parties would not speak to one another.

The case was then declared closed.