Comments on: This is the school at which Mark Vella Gera taught

By: andrew

andrew — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 04:00:54 +0000

he used to teach me religion…. YEY me

By: Amanda Mallia

Amanda Mallia — Thu, 08 May 2008 22:00:48 +0000

Isabel – You said “What should we do with this person now that he has been punished, is fully exposed and cannot right his wrongs? Maybe you have an answer to that”

1) The man’s sentence (a suspended one), especially when combined with the ban on the publication of his name, is far too lenient.

2) He is NOT “fully exposed” (well, at least I have not seen any of his rumoured webcam antics – Joke!). If by “fully exposed” you mean on Daphne’s blog and on the various emails circulating, then you are very much in the wrong. You have to understand that exposure on such media is limited to a few hundred, or thousands at best. What of the several thousand other parents still unaware of the danger this man poses to their children?

3) I agree that he “cannot right his wrongs”, but leaving him out of jail and unnamed leaves him free instead to create more such “wrongs”. The fact that he actively advertised his “weatherclub for boys and girls aged 11 to 15 years … with sleepovers in a farmhouse in Gozo … and trips to Sicily” until long after his conviction is testimony to that.
Oh yes, he could “right his wrongs” by continuing to wear the MUSEUM badge he apparently wore till at least late last year. Maybe that way he’ll dupe more adults into trusting him with their children. And then what? Maybe YOU have got an answer to that.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Thu, 08 May 2008 19:34:43 +0000

He used to teach both at St Michael School, Qormi and that of Tal-Balal.

I attended both and i can safely say that they have nothing to do with this man.

By: Isabel

Isabel — Wed, 07 May 2008 14:49:36 +0000

Dear Amanda

i suppose that you are hoping for a reply from me so that journalism can have its field day. So I will indulge you.
I have never said that this man didn’t do wrong, that the law courts are an unnecassary institution, that his name should not have been published or that he should not have had a stiffer sentence. In fact, I respect the law courts to the extent that I do not profess to know their job better than them.
Face facts yourself – this man IS (justly) facing the consequences of his actions.
I have said and continue to say that compassion is a necessary quality and I, and I hope also you and others, do not want to have as much to answer for as this person does.
Daphne says that paedophiles are not sick and nor can they be be helped or cured. What should we do with this person now that he has been punished, is fully exposed and cannot right his wrongs? Maybe you have an answer to that.
I have made my point now and I have no intention of continuing with this discussion. I’m sure that many disagree with me but I also disagree with many.

By: Amanda Mallia

Amanda Mallia — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:13:17 +0000

Isabel – By your reasoning, we may as well do away with the Law Courts, because people will be judged by God.

Face facts – this man did wrong, and he must face the consequences of his actions. Yes, I do feel sorry for his parents, but that does not mean that his name should not be made public and that he should not have been given a stiffer sentence (and not just a short-suspended one). The fact that his surname is uncommon (and hence his family also drawn unwittingly into it) may also have been one of the reasons for the ban on its publication, though such reason would still be unjust, leaving many children potentially his future victims.

By: Isabel

Isabel — Tue, 06 May 2008 16:40:27 +0000

I feel sorry for all sinners – whether sick or not- and that includes each and every one of us to different extents. That does not mean that they should not be punished and strictly controlled but he is being punished and will always continue to be.

By: Isabel

Isabel — Tue, 06 May 2008 16:14:55 +0000

I am a mother of two sons and as such, feel that these situations are utterly shocking and almost unbelievable. Off course, such behaviour has to be stopped.
However, I would also like to add my criticism to Daphne’s sweeping statement against all men who offer to do voluntary work with youngsters. I think this is grossly unfair and utterly predjudiced. Both my sons went to church schools and attended Muzew where they were (thankfully) never molested and were well educated by dedicated men who have the true spirit of God in them.Unfortunately, this comment of yours Daphne, rather wrecks your courage in exposing this situation.
Another thing that I want others to reflect upon is the fact that this man was obviously a very disturbed person and like other sick persons, deserves also an element of symphaty too. I actually find it in my heart to feel sorry for such an individual who can bring himself ,so irresponsibly to ruin his reputation, his career and hurt the people who loved him through this. No doubt, his court case was an enormous if just ordeal in his life, he is surely feeling ashamed and guilty and knows that any further possibility to make good in the future will be forever denied to him by a society which cannot trust him ever again. Let us be truly Christian and let him now exist in peace (if at all possible!). What had to be done was done, everything possible must be done to ensure that he never the possibility to repeat his actions – let him be now.
I am thinking also (though I don’t know them at all) of the family he must have injured so much. His parents are as much victims as the boys he abused and their parents – they must be suffering so much. No one chooses his own children and sometimes- despite our best intentions- they do not turn out as we would have wished them to do. Let us not rub too much salt on their wounds.
And one final point. Cases like this justly anger society but they can also be of huge detriment to those being accused of similar cases whose guilt is not already proven. It is possible- if improbable- that some others being accused of similar behaviour are not as guilty as one would imagine. No innocent person must suffer or suffer more harshly than he or she should.
I hope I have irritated nobody by trying to find a level of moderation in this condemnation. I sympathize fully with the abused boys and their families. What I wanted to point out in such a situation- that like wartime – everybody is hurting and nothing stands to be gained from this mess.
Let God judge us all as no doubt, he will.

[Moderator – Paedophilia is not a disorder or a sickness, so you can no more feel sorry for this man than you can feel sorry for a heterosexual person simply because he is so.]

By: John Schembri

John Schembri — Sat, 03 May 2008 12:09:52 +0000

Can anyone show us this Tal-balal school? [Moderator - St Michael Tal-Balal]

By: Japed Tapiocas

Japed Tapiocas — Fri, 02 May 2008 14:36:20 +0000

Dear moderator you are not here to give your opinion, think about it!!!

The thing that you all cannot understand that they did not have enough evidence to go to the police. If yes, I can assure you that all the action would have been taken. The thing is that the second school did not check well the C.V. of this teacher and did not confirm it. From this forum I have concluded that the St.Michael at ta` Balal is just the school where I will never send my kids; the teachers there do not need a warrant and also can invent any sort qualification and previous work experiences in there C.V. because no body will confirm it. The problem is the bad administration of the Balal school.

Moderator start acting as a moderator. And for your last comment; dear moderator, start THINKING.

[Moderator – It is up to the police to collect evidence, not the Muzew, which is why they should have filed a police report on the mere suspicion.]

By: Wayne Buhagiar

Wayne Buhagiar — Fri, 02 May 2008 14:11:54 +0000

L-ewwel nett nixtieq niccara xi ftit punti dwar dan il-kaz.

1. MVG kien jghallem fl-iskola St.Michael School Qormi tal-Muzew u wara li kien qed jitkellem ma’ studenti ‘about nasty things’ gie rrapurtat lid-Diretturi. Dan tkecca mill-iskola u mal-ewwel irizzenja minn tal-Muzew.
2.Sadanittant bdew il-proceduri kemm fil-Muzew u anke ukoll il-Curia u ma thallix jghallem fi skejjel tal-knisja.
3. Mar jghallem fi skola st. michael (independent school) u hemm thalla jghallem ghax ma hemmx bzonn warrant ta’ teacher.
4. Hemm sar kaz iehor li wara tressaq ghand il-pulizija inghata sentenjn habs

Jien ma nafx kif kulhadd qieghed idahhal is-socjeta tal-muzew f’keffa wahda… dan ifisser mohh maghluq u ma jafux jirragunaw. Sinjal li qatt ma ltqajtu ma’ nies tal-museum ghax huma nies mill-ahjar u ghenuni lil b’mod personali fil-hajja tieghi. Grazzi minn hawn ghalihom. Bl-istess ragunament takom li ma tafdawx lil tal-muzew iktar ghax zbalja wiehed u skondkom kollha huma hekk, mela issa nibdew nghallmu lit-tfal u nghidulhom biex ma jafdawx lil genituri taghhom ghax jibdew isakkruhom u jabbuzawhom (…kaz ta’ l-austria)

Open up your minds and think pls!! Stop abuse but do not misjudge people because of one person!! THINK

[Moderator – You see, that’s the problem. If the intentions of the Muzew really were good, then they would have reported him to the police and he would have not been able to get a job at the independent school. Think about it.]