Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela said that the findings of the magisterial inquiry about last Sunday’s incident at Paceville would be made public.
In a statement to the House of Representatives, Dr Abela said that 74 persons were injured following a mass exodus at Club PlusOne following a very brief altercation that later led to a collapse of the glass railing lining the staircase. Sixteen of those injured were hospitalised, six underwent surgery and two received intensive care services.
The Opposition insisted that an independent inquiry should be appointed since magisterial inquiries were not made public and usually took a long time to conclude.
Mr Abela said that on that evening there were 20 policemen in uniform and a drug team. Referring to the presence of minors, he said this was a persistent phenomenon which was in flagrant breach of police laws and health and safety regulations in Malta.
The training and licensing of bouncers was also raised. He said that the police needed to look into the qualifications required by persons who work as security staff. Leader of the Opposition Simon Busuttil applauded the Home Affairs Minister for giving information on the Paceville incident. He said that in the case of the recent Paqpaqli accident, the people were still without any official information on the matter, when official information was vital.
Dr Busuttil agreed with the minister that security and the law needed to be enforced rigorously, echoing Mr Abela’s concern as a parent that the welfare of the youths was paramount. Age restrictions, safety exits, the qualifications of bouncers and other issues needed to be addressed, Dr Busuttil said. He added that, while Mr Abela claimed that police presence had been increased in Paceville, its presence was not apparent in the video uploaded by the Times of Malta.
PN deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami said that the events in Paceville last weekend were unprecedented for Malta. He said that youths in Paceville at that time described the scene as tragic and akin to a terror attack.
Dr Fenech Adami added that there was a collapse of law and order in Paceville and warned that there were people who felt they were above the law.