Abuse of parents at the hands of their children is the subject of the August issue of Pink, out with The Sunday Times of Malta on Sunday, and featuring the story of a mother who plucked up the courage to report her son to the police, testify against him in court and have him sent to a juvenile rehabilitation centre in the hope of giving him a second chance at being accepted into society.

Few cases of parental abuse come to light, but this woman wanted to share her story in Pink to show other mothers that she could rise above the shame and embarrassment and realise that protecting her son was doing more harm than good.

It was not easy facing her son in court, knowing he would break off all communication with her, but it was the right step to curb the violence and try to help get him on the right track.

The story highlights the possibility that many other parents are suffering in silence and being threatened in their own homes.

This particular mother says that she was pushed around, slapped, thrown to the floor, grabbed by the neck and gagged, and even burnt with a lighter.

Pink’s resident clinical and child psychologists also enter the picture with helpful additional information on what might drive children to abuse their parents and how the victims can try to cope.

Malta’s leading magazine for women also meets the wife of ALS sufferer Bjorn Formosa, Maria, to touch on the sensitive topic of the future as time starts running out and his illness fast takes over.

It’s hard for her to face it, but as things stand, Maria plods on with plans to open another home to cater for patients and works tirelessly on fundraising events to make it happen.

Pink is a monthly magazine that is produced and published by Allied Newspapers Limited.