This is a child, for heaven’s sake
Times of Malta reports on a 14-year-old Somali boy who tried to run away from Malta using a forged passport and was arrested and charged in court. The headline doesn’t even say he’s a child, even though that should be the key news peg.
The comments beneath the story are cold-hearted, cruel, have no insight and absolutely lack any sort of curiosity as to his story. I pity anybody who ends up at the mercy of people like that. I have long found that your average Maltese completely lacks imagination and it is this imagination which is necessary for empathy and insight into another person’s condition.
A 14-year-old is a CHILD, for heaven’s sake, not a man. Yet these people are calling for deportation and wondering where he got his false passport.
They should instead be wondering what sort of hell he has gone through, that he has ended up in Malta alone at the age of 14, in the care of social services, and why he is so desperate to run away that he somehow tried to organise it and was prepared to end up in France without money. Is he looking for somebody, perhaps?
Magistrate Carol Peralta, who handed down a sentence of imprisonment (though suspended), asked him whether he has any ambitions in life. What a stupid question. At that age, almost nobody does, probably not even the magistrate himself. All we have at 14 are vague thoughts about what we might like to do, while we get on with the business of passing from childhood into adolescence, discovering our self-image and the opposite sex, having fun with friends, and barely bothering with school unless we have neurotic parents, which so many unfortunate children appear to have nowadays.
This boy told the magistrate he would like to work in IT. Well, I certainly hope something is done about it, and that he is directed towards the right training.
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http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20131104/local/suspended-jail-term-for-somali-who-tried-to-escape.493237#.Unifl1MueV4
His ambition is to find a better life in a less racist country.
If I ever come to power I would make it legal to punch Carol Peralta in the face. This so-called magistrate is an embarrassment. He already made it clear that foreigners should have harsher sentences than Maltese. How can we know he didn’t already apply that. At least this boy didn’t call anyone gay, which would have landed him a life sentence probably
Yes, we live in a xenophobic, ignorant country. Our judiciary often lacks compassion, not to mention our politics. Very sad indeed.
I will never remove from my head two kids half his age; turning the corner with a Kalashnikov between them, one to pull the trigger and the other to rest the barrel on his shoulders. This is what these kids go through, with a tally a fully grown soldier would not envy. Would you blast them away? A Somaliland and Somalia loaded with Italian AP mines, which Europe hasn’t dared clean up in over ten years. There is a lot of dirty blood money in Europe.
With these kind of comments, how do we expect to integrate this boy in our society? We should be talking in terms of how we can help him.
On a general note, Daphne, I really like your posts on humanitarian issues. You are trying to instil a social conscience which, as you say, is lacking in many of the Maltese. Well done.
It used to come to me as a huge surprise why the Times of Malta permits certain comments beneath certain stories. I used to ask Why? Is it because it wants to give readers “space”? Or maybe because in this way it can attract a “debate”?
The ugliness and hatred that it permitted underneath the story of the tragedy at sea of those seeking a better life, and now beneath this story, is no surprise at all. The Times of Malta is in, and it has been there for the last three years.
The question about the source of the fake passport is interesting, though not for the reasons the timesofmalta.com experts express.
Muscat bangs on constantly about the need to crack down on trafficking and illicit transport of migrants into Malta. He says NOTHING about the criminal networks that operate in Malta – the ones that sold a fake passport to a minor, ripping him off twice over.
We periodically hear of arrest and prosecution for the use of fake travel documents. I can’t remember anyone being prosecuted for selling fake passports and ID cards.
The going rate for a fake Latvian passport is at least Eur700, and that’s one that is actually sold as a fake. ‘Real’ documents (which, of course, are nothing of the sort) must command a higher price.
I would have thought some compassion on the part of the magistrate was in order. Vera bla qalb, sur magistrat.
A nation of idiots. No wonder we got lumped with this government.
Disgusting.
Min pajjiz laghqi qed insiru pajjiz bla kultura u ta’ intern hazin. Valuri spiccaw, u dak li jimpurtana hu x ser nakwisstaw. Vera tal-misthija.
Insejna kemm bkejna ghal ghajnuniet minghand haddiehor. Issa imissna ahna li naghmlu ftit ghal haddiehor, u minflok johrog dan il-valenu.
Thank heavens we’ve abolished the death penalty.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20131105/world/heavy-gunfire-heard-in-libyas-capital-tripoli.493359
He can kiss that agreement goodbye and prepare for another wave of landings.
He might have no ambitions …yet.
However he certainly knows what he wants.
Who can blame him for wanting to flee Malta?
I wish him better luck next time.
Malta Today actually says “man” in the subtitle.
The value system of this country has gone to the dogs.
Makes me wonder whether some of our leaders actually believe in Catholicism, or indeed Christianity. Perhaps they are leaning towards Sharia law. What next? Public stoning to death?
Sadly, it would seem that it is the magistrate himself who needs direction in life and lacks a proper plan, and he’s most certainly not 14.
Off topic:
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-10-29/news/passengers-panic-as-flight-changes-destination-unannounced-3032219648/
“….Marlene Mizzi, took to Facebook to recount her personal experience, describing it as the “worst 15 minutes of my life.”
This simply because the aircraft was planning to divert to another airport (Tunis) rather than Malta.
Such a backbone and capacity to deal with the problems in life and business.
Perhaps some Barbie dolls falling off shelves was the most traumatic incident she previously had to deal with.
I think that in the main, most people in Malta are losing their marbles.
incredible but unfortunately true!
thanks for reporting……
On a different note – how one can defend such scum defies my imagination http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20131105/local/estranged-husband-wife-struggled-with-a-gun-before-man-was-shot.493425#.Unj-WRRwbIU
What about the youngsters who blow themselves up killing scores of people?
Are we supposed to say “For Heaven’s sake, they are only children?”
They are nothing but young terrorists in the making.
[Daphne – Yes, Mr Loporto, that is exactly what you should say. A 14-year-old who blows himself up has been persuaded to do so by an adult – just like the 13- and 14-year-olds who are hooked on heroin and cocaine by criminals old enough to be their grandfather.]
Yes very true and we are attacking the wrong people. Society needs to learn to attack the trafficker not the buyer.
That’s the problem with fascists. No empathy.
That is the reason why we should be extra careful wen dealing with these CHILDREN
They have been brainwashed to such an extent that they are nothing but Ticking Bombs ready to go off.
If you ask me how they should be treated, I would answer that I don’t know, but one thing is certain, They are a danger to humanity and should be looked upon as such.
[Daphne – Yes, can’t have dangerous 14-year-olds from Somalia coming here to cause trouble among our very civilised people, can we: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20131105/local/murder.493425#.UnnsVlMueV4 ]
What happened in Silvio Loporto’s childhood for him to have turned out this way?
Nies bhalek jdardruni, Silvio.
Tahbu l-injoranza u l-biza’ wara faccata ta’ egoizmu.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPU4UN03t7E
This seems to be the second time we are agreeing.
La redoute In my chilhood it was a very different situation, we werec asked to pray for those who were Leaving our island and hoped that they settled down so they could send for their folks to join them. That way we solved the overpopulation in our country
And take my word, it was such a nice place to live in than.
Now it seems we are going back to pre1090,when it was thanks to Count Roger that we got our country back..
How about welcoming all illegal immigrants,giving them first class treatment and make sure they are treated like tourist,but making sure that their country foots the bill.
That would be a boosts to our Tourist industry.
If we can get in touch with the boy’s guardians, we would be very happy to help the young man start off in IT.
Very often what anyone needs is just a small bit of help.
Daphne, you know how to contact me.
It is heartbreaking to see that these youths are so vulnerable and easily end up in dire situations.
This young lad should be given the opportunity to attend a proper training course. Mr Thake, your offer is very generous – hopefully this young lad will be put in touch with you.