I beg to differ on one point you raised above, people over the age of 18 are legally autonomus, yes, but emotionally or mentally, from my own experiences – age does not come into the equation and vunerabilty between the ages of 13 to 20 are real 9even beyond), as this case has clearly shown and I am sure we will, if ever the truth comes out, realize that there is so much more to this story and many others happening at this very moment as we all talk here. I plea here that we keep an eye open at all times, to speak our mind if we notice any of our kids, nephews, friends kids etc acting or hanging out with people who we think may be the wrong people at that time of their life. Never be afraid to speak your mind simply because you may be called old fashined or a geek or nerd or whatever. Often when a family is going through a crisis, all the forces which can totally torment you will surface. Lets all be there for those we love and care for, keep our eyes open for thngs we feel are not right, and above all never assume that because we were lucky in our lives that our mistakes have not YET caught up with us,
they never will.

Arrested development is a national disease in Malta. Young teachers feel that they’re in the same league as their pupils, but it doesn’t stop there.

It is possible to reach physical and legal adulthood without growing up. What am I saying? It is possible to reach advanced middle-age without ever growing up. The evidence is all around us.

I think there is an issue in a lot of schools in Malta. I went to two different schools, the second of which was the one in question. I also went to Masquerade.

It was in my first school that one teacher would openly flirt with her male pupils, a pupil was in a relationship with the PE teacher as soon as she finished 5th form, another teacher was rumoured to have kissed two male pupils.

There are loads of these stories, that at the time shocked us but being young we did nothing about it.

If I could go back in time I would report every single one of them. There seems to be a real blur in Malta when it comes to age differences. I’m not sure why, but it needs to be addressed.

You don’t joke about drugs – it’s not funny.

Glenn, at 23 a human male is a man and not a boy, and should act accordingly.

When I was 18 I was fighting communist terrorists in Malaya and by the time I was 23 I had seen action in three different countries. The trouble with people today is lack of discipline.

I thank you for making people see the real reality.

In that place they should investigate teachers from the kinder school to the senior school. I have heard so many stories and this was one of the worst!

There was the case of the acid thrown at the assistant head’s face – why was acid thrown at him, and by whom? Then they made him a PSD teacher, and he shocked my son talking about the satisfaction a man can get if he masturbates alone and does not need a companion!

There was also that paedophile Vella Gera who asked a boy to strip on web-cam!

There are teachers who go in late for their class because they have a relationship with another teacher!

I’m so glad my son is out of there. I used to pay all that money and for what? I still had to send him to private lessons because they never finished the syllabus. And to top it all up, the bullying in that school is something unbelievable. If we had to go around parents and ask, they all have a story to tell!

I do blame the school for what has happened. It should clean up its act and find some proper teachers before other tragedies happen. Thank you, Daphne.

[Daphne – Monica, I know little or nothing about the school in question, and my comments are about the teacher-pupil situation in general. My sons were not at the same school but I remember that there were two computer teachers at their school around 12 years ago who would interact in the classroom with their girl-pupils exactly as they would with women their own age who they were trying to pick up in a bar. It was noticeably wrong even to the children themselves, and especially to the boys, who were cast in the role of observers. One pupil drew a cartoon of the worst of these teachers, portrayed as a paedophile, and stuck it to the school noticeboard. The pupil was suspended and the teacher stayed on.]

Glenn,

The more I read and think about the story the more I find myself picturing the young girl’s heartbroken father. From what I hear through people who know him, Mr Zahra adored his daughter (and her late mother).

And even if that were not the case, Erin Tanti has sent a girl to her death, from a wonderful future, from the opportunity to have a career, maybe a family, a grown-up life.

I can’t help but find myself transported into a possible future where my child is lying at the foot of a cliff because of some abusive/perverted relationship or in some dark alley with a syringe because of some such scumbag who doesn’t stop to think about the effects and the influences his actions have on others.

Perhaps I should be more open to forgiving James Ryder’s comments and simply dismissing them as an expression of remorse. There again, I find myself hesitating.

See Daphne, this is a typical example of how the Maltese operate.

Carla didn’t know anything about the dangers Facebook photos may bring, till she came in here to realise that the photos she posts determine who the person behind the Facebook profile is.

As if this isn’t obvious.

Now if this is the basic rule attached to a 2-day course for football – what more will be instructed to a teacher, even if this is a substitute teacher.

Today, if I want to employ anyone with me, representing me and my company, this first thing I do on receipt of an application and CV is to take a look at the persons Facebook profile, so there’s absolutely no reason in today’s digital world for such mistakes to occur.

Kids between the ages of 13 to 20 are rebellious, volatile and will often look for things which may go against their parents wishes. It’s normal – some go to lengths others barely scratch the surface, but the fact remains that a teacher has a code of ethics which needs to be followed and I am sure that this case will open a can of worms.

[Daphne – People over the age of 18 are not kids but adults. They are not answerable to their parents’ wishes but are legally autonomous and accountable for their own choices and actions. Also, if they are still rebelling against their parents at 20 there’s a problem as it is not normal.]