Prime Minister Joseph Muscat failed to condemn an aide yesterday who had made a public ‘priest child abuse’ dig at Archbishop Charles Scicluna.

Glenn Bedingfield, employed at the Office of the Prime Minister on a position of trust basis, shared a video clip Tuesday of Mgr Scicluna accompanied by the caption: “At least the Prime Minister didn’t go into any children’s bedrooms.”

In the clip, Mgr Scicluna is seen criticising Joseph Muscat’s controversial new year’s message during a television interview aired on Monday night. Mgr Scicluna told the interviewer he trusted that “the next time Dr Muscat visits a kitchen, it will be real”, a reference to the Prime Minister’s staged tete-a-tete with a young couple inside their designer kitchen.

Mr Bedingfield’s comment was a reference to sexual abuse by priests. Mgr Scicluna was the chief Church prosecutor in such cases when he served at the Vatican.

A spokesman for Dr Muscat said: “Mr Bedingfield’s comment should be taken as having been made in his personal capacity and as a commentator who presents a
satirical show on One radio.”

Pointing out that Dr Muscat was in Montenegro on official business, he added: “You appreciate that the Prime Minister was not monitoring Facebook statuses.”

Mr Bedingfield’s tweet sparked outrage, with many taking to social media to question a government consultant attacking the head of the Maltese Church.

In a statement, The Nationalist Party said that it expected action from Dr Muscat.

In a subsequent tweet, Mr Bedingfield said he was not calling the Archbishop a paedophile but stopped short of saying he had referred to child abuse. He later
tweeted: “Freedom of speech is there for all to enjoy and everyone has the right to comment and be criticised for such comments.”

Mgr Scicluna did not comment on the matter.