Nearly 200 parents have been jailed or detained over the last three years for failure to pay their children’s alimony or grant the other parent rightful access to their children, according to statistics.

Figures just presented to Parliament revealed that while 172 parents were jailed or detained for failing to pay financial support, another 26 ended up behind bars for failing to grant the other parent access to their children following a court order.

Another 26 parents ended up behind bars for failing to grant the other parent access

The data was given to Parliament by Justice Minister Owen Bonnici in reply to a Parliamentary question by PN MP Claudette Buttigieg. The statistics cover the period January 1, 2016 to May 9 this year. According to the statistics, 105 men were detained and 64 jailed over their failure to pay their estranged partners financial compensation to cover expenses related to their children’s upbringing.

On the other hand, two women were detained and one jailed over the same offence.

Failure to grant their estranged partners access to their children, on the strength of a court order, landed 16 women and 10 men with a detention or a jail term.

According to law, the maximum detention for those partners who fail to pay alimony or grant their estranged partners access to their children is of two months.

Dr Bonnici told Parliament that no people were detained or jailed by the Gozo court over failure to pay for their child’s alimony or give access to their children. The statistics include both Maltese and foreign parents.