A father who neglected his daughter and subjected her to psychological cruelty and neglect has been ordered to pay her almost €83,000 in damages by the Gozo courts.

The woman filed her application for damages against her father in 2008 claiming that she had suffered permanent psychological damage as a result of her father's cruelty and neglect and that her father had failed in his legal obligations towards her to maintain and support her.

The allegations were denied by the father, who claimed that his daughter was being manipulated by her mother from whom he was separated.

Magistrate Joanne Vella Cuschieri heard evidence by the woman to the effect that her father was lazy, abusive and even violent in her regard and that of her mother and siblings. He was guilty of mental cruelty towards the family and of destroying her self esteem and as a result she had not performed well at school and was still trying to get her O level qualifications when she was 20 years old.

The woman's testimony was confirmed by her mother and by a former teacher who recalled that when young, the daughter has shown signs of anxiety at school.

The psychologist who examined the woman and who was appointed by the court to interview the parties concluded that her father totally lacked parenting skills, was not amenable to persuasion, and was suspicious. These symptoms, said the psychologist, fell within the criteria of Paranoid Personality Disorder.

A parent who suffered from this condition would have a negative effect on his children's self awareness and could instil in them a sense of shame.

The court-appointed experts noted that the woman recalled her father taunting her for being overweight, he used to make up a rhyme about her "hoxna hoxna qisek katuba, par widnejn kbar qishom qlugh, imniehrek catt, denbu nnukklat, ghal qatla jehduh" referring to her as a pig.  He used to sing this to her about four times a day.  

Her father also used to threaten her, when her young sister was born, that she would be locked up on the roof without food and her toys would be given to the baby.

The woman had been emotionally abused by her father, instead of receiving safety and love from her.  Her level of psychiatric and psychological disability was calculated by the experts at the level of eight per cent.

Magistrate Vella Cuschieri said that there was no doubt that psychological disability gave rise to a claim for damages in the same manner as a physical disability.

The court found in favour of the woman and ordered her father to pay her €82,984 in damages.