The government is considering reviewing the law to provide for tougher penalties in crimes committed in the presence of schoolchildren, the Times of Malta has learnt.

The move follows an incident last week in which a grandmother assaulted a head of school in Vittoriosa. The woman, 47, was fined €4,000 after admitting she had made a mistake. She was also handed a suspended six-month jail term and banned from the school for two years.

After the aggressor was allowed in the school, she went to the head’s office where the assistant head was also present. As soon as she entered the office, she physically attacked the head complaining that somebody had shouted at her grandson.

The head of school was treated in hospital for slight injuries after the incident. The aggressor was arrested shortly after she left the school.

Sources said the government was exploring the possibility of introducing harsher sentences for acts of violence, in their different forms, taking place in or in the proximity of schools.

Other places where children are present for events, such as sports and cultural facilities or parks, were also likely to be considered, the sources said.

“This follows a number of incidents that saw teachers and educators attacked in their place of work,” the sources said.

They added that the matter would be discussed with stakeholders once it had been reviewed internally.

The Malta Union of Teachers had welcomed the outcome of last week’s court case.

However, it stressed that the bigger issue must not be overlooked: that prevention was better than cure.

“This sentence, which follows a similar one last November, should be commended. The MUT, however, reiterates, for the umpteenth time, its appeal for proper security measures in schools to protect educators at their workplace,” the union said.

Education Minister Evarist Bartolo insisted there had to be a balance between having security measures and ensuring that schools were not cut off from the community.

The Union of Professional Educators had also lamented the “inadequate” security provisions within schools.

“Such instances are unacceptable, especially when the authorities have been told time and time again that the lack of security within our schools could result in such episodes,” it said.