It is evident that after more than seven years of compilation of evidence by our courts, the threeMaltese clerics who allegedly sexually abused children under their care are now playing for time.

Just when Lawrence Grech and the other children, now men in their 30s, thought they were almost there, they again found themselves further away.

These clerics claim they cannot be guaranteed a fair trial and recently requested the Constitutional Court to ensure they are not tried by a section of the media, since their case is still sub judice.

They are now also complaining that their case has been over-exposed in the media. And this is quite unavoidable in our Catholic country for the simple reason they are priests and not ordinary citizens.

Perhaps this case would have taken a different twist if the alleged abusers did not happen to be priests.

A few months ago, the Curia Response Team finally referred the case to the Vatican authorities for judgment. I wonder if these priests have also protested with the Vatican, alleging that the local and foreign media were prejudicing their case.Most probably not, because the most the Vatican can do, if they are found guilty, is to defrock them.

However, our courts, at worst, can sentence them to imprisonment if they are convicted.

On the other hand, we all know that the law is the same for everyone. May justice also prevail in this peculiar case, which up to now has been dragging on for more than seven years.

Our President, George Abela, had promised the alleged victims he would do his utmost to ensure that legal proceedings would be concluded without delay.

It is important that justice is not only done, but also be seen to be done.

In the meantime, the alleged victims anxiously await the outcome of their case. Justice delayed is justice denied.