Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1012451
maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 8 AUGUST 2018 5 NEWS YANNICK PACE BULLYING and harassment could never be justified, Chil- dren's Commissioner Paul- ine Miceli has cautioned, in what could be interpreted as a rebuke of former Opposition leader Simon Busuttil's part- ner, Kristina Chetcuti. Miceli's statement did not name Chetcuti but was a clear reference to the controversy that has developed in the wake of what Michelle Muscat, the Prime Minister's wife, said on TVM's Xtra last week. Muscat said that her chil- dren's school had not protect- ed them from bullying related to allegations made against her in relation to the com- pany Egrant. To illustrate her point, Muscat said that there had been school parties from which her children were ex- cluded, despite the entire class being invited. She also said that there had been instances in which other children would "post things" in the school's social media chat group. On Sunday, in her regular column on The Sunday Times of Malta, Chetcuti indirectly referred to the matter, insist- ing "school ground bullying was bound to happen" and rather than make children "feel they are little princes or princesses" they need to be armed with "witty replies and punches". Chetcuti was also critical of children under 13 holding so- cial media accounts in a direct reference to the Prime Minis- ter's twin daughters who have private instagram accounts in their name. "You avoid social media bul- lying by actually following the rules: children under 13 should NOT have Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat ac- counts," wrote Chetcuti. But now, the Children's Commissioner has entered the fray, insisting that it is the re- s p o n - s i b i l - ity of a d u l t s to ensure that chil- dren, espe- cially those whose parents are in the public eye, are protected. Miceli insisted that bullying or harassment could never be justified. "Being in the public eye may have repercussions on one's children, irrespective whether one is in the entertainment in- dustry, a successful entrepre- neur or involved in politics," the statement read, adding that this was especially true in an island of Malta's size where political discussion tended to be more polarised. Miceli said that it was the re- sponsibility of all those "who have any sort of impact on the lives of children" to protect them from the "fallout of this polarisation". One way of doing so, the Commissioner said, was to re- spect others, even if they hold different beliefs. "The Office of the Commissioner for Children firmly believes that bullying/har- assment is never justi- fied. It is the role of parents and guard- ians, educators and educational institutions, and all other significant adults to ensure that all children, including children of politicians, are protected from all forms of bullying, harass- ment and/or discrimination." Finally, it said that only if adults gave a good example could children learn to respect their peers. When you enter politics so does your family. In her piece 'On being a mar- tyr', Chetcuti argued that par- ents who decided to pursue a career in politics needed to consider the fact that by do- ing so, they were also choos- ing the lifestyle for their fam- ily. "If your family is suffering because of your political role, don't blame all and sundry, but point first and foremost to yourself." Moreover, Chetcuti suggest- ed that disappointments, like not being invited to a party, were a part of growing up. "If your kids have not been invited to a party with the rest of the class, do not wail "Mhux fer". It happens to all children whether their parents are doc- tors, bankers, plumbers or politicians. It is called part of growing up: the first disap- pointments. It serves children well later, because life is not perfect and there will always be people who won't like you." "School ground bullying is bound to happen. It can be because your children's classmates think that your politician husband is absolute rubbish, but it could also be because your child wears specs or gets better grades or has a funny accent. You need to arm your children with witty replies and punches, and not make them feel they are little princes or princesses who de- serve special treatment." Children's Commissioner insists bullying can 'never be justified' Children's Commissioner Pauline Miceli and (inset) Kristina Chetcuti JAMES DEBONO A six-storey old people's home ap- proved in Tarxien last year may get an extra two storeys through a piecemeal application which re-proposes the orig- inal plan that was only revised after res- idents presented a 600-strong petition which objected to the excessive height of the proposal. The application is being recom- mended for approval by the case of- ficer who argues that the proposed ad- ditions would "visually blend with the skyline of the area". The case officer report also cites a policy approved last year which allows two extra storeys over and above the local plan limit on old people's homes. The Planning Au- thority will be taking a final decision on this application on 7 September. The application was approved in October after the height was re- duced to comply with the local plan's height limitation. But if approved, the nursing home – which also has five underground levels – will rise to eight storeys. The site fronts Triq tal-Barrani in the corner with Triq il-Palma and Triq Lorenzo Gonzi in Tarxien and could impact views at what residents describe as the gateway to Tarxien. The old people's home is being pro- posed on a vacant site where the PA has already approved a showroom and three storeys for offices and apartments in 2014. A policy regulating building heights of old people's homes approved last year allows residential homes for the elderly to add an additional two floors over and above the number of floors allowed in the local plan. When the original development was proposed a petition against the pro- posed nursing home in Tarxien was signed by more than 600 residents. The petition deemed the development as being too high for a locality charac- terised by low-rise construction. Six-storey Tarxien nursing home may get two new floors