Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1419860
6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 OCTOBER 2021 NEWS Senior Manager (Paying Agency) Interested candidates are invited to apply for the position of Senior Manager (Paying Agency) with the Agriculture and Rural Payments Agency (ARPA) within the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Animal Rights (MAFA). Successful candidates will be invited to join the senior management team with responsibility for areas within the Agency's organisational structure, particularly in its Internal Audit as well Inspection and Control functions. The Agency's remit in the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy, particularly in the control and payment, of the relevant EU funds may be viewed at www.arpa.gov.mt This position offers an attractive remuneration package. If this sounds like the right opportunity for you, submit your application through the Online Government Recruitment Portal https://recruitment.gov.mt by the closing time and date of this call for applications 1715 CET on Friday 22 nd October 2021. Only candidates who are eligible under the requirements stipulated in the call will be considered. Further details may be obtained by calling us on 22924309/22924167 or by sending an email to humanresources.mafa@gov.mt. t: +356 2292 6148 e: arpa.mafa@gov.mt w: www.arpa.gov.mt MINISTRY FOR AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, FOOD AND ANIMAL RIGHTS Agriculture and Rural Payments Agency Luqa Road, Qormi QRM 9075 – Malta KURT SANSONE THE social welfare agency has "unreservedly" apologised to a woman, who was raped as a child while she was in State care 20 years ago. The Foundation for Social Welfare Services said the rape incidents should have never gone unreported. Procedures have since been overhauled and reporting abuse is today manda- tory for all professionals. The woman, now 35, was awarded €70,000 in damages by the constitutional court in a judgment handed down last month. Judge Joanne Vella Cus- chieri found the State guilty of breaching the woman's funda- mental human rights when it failed to protect her as a child. When still 12 years old and under a care order, the woman was raped by the husband of her social worker. The social welfare agency at the time was alerted of the accusations but did not refer the case to the police and only carried out an internal investi- gation. The child was raped again a few years later by two boys and despite the agency being aware that one of the rapists had ad- mitted to the crime, failed to in- form the police. "Despite the fact that this al- leged malpractice happened in 2000, when none of the present management team was even em- ployed by FSWS, the foundation unreservedly apologises to the victim for what she has expe- rienced both when in care and the repercussions thereafter," the FSWS said in replies to ques- tions by this newspaper. "What the honourable constitutional court concluded should not have happened and, worse still, gone unreported. There is no excuse for this." However, when asked whether the court judgment will be ap- pealed, the FSWS said that was a government decision to make. "The judgment found the State at fault and ordered the State to pay compensation to the victim. Thus, it is not up to FSWS to de- cide what further action should be taken." Raped three times The woman had been placed under a care order when seven years old because of abuse in her family resulting from an alcohol- ic father. At the age of 12, she was trans- ferred from an orphanage to St Jean Antide Home that did not cater for weekends at the time. As a result, the child's social worker used to give her shelter at home on weekends. It was on one of these weekends that the social worker's husband sexually abused the child. When the case was flagged to the social welfare agency's board an inter- nal investigation was launched but no police report filed. The court judgment shows that the social worker entrusted with the child's case continued being involved in the case despite the allegations concerning her hus- band. The girl only got to know of the outcome of the internal investi- gation several months later when she received a letter from the lawyer of the social worker asking her to stop spreading lies about the family. The internal investi- gation dismissed the girl's claims. The man was only charged by police years later after the wom- an spoke up but he was acquitted of the charges when social work- ers who testified in the case con- tradicted the victim's version. However, while still in the State's care, the woman had been raped on two other occa- sions by different people. One case was referred to the police but the perpetrator died in pris- on before the case ended. In the third instance, the wom- an had been raped by two boys who lured her to a house in Ham- run and tied her with cable ties while abusing her in succession. The court heard how one of the boys had confessed to the crime to the girl's social worker (differ- ent from the first) but when the case was referred to the social welfare agency's board no police report was filed. As a result of the trauma the woman suffers from various psy- chological ailments to this day that could be triggered even by simple things such as visiting the locality where she lived in as a child. In her decree, Judge Joanne Vella Cuschieri remarked that "no financial compensation, no matter how big it is, can miti- gate the mental harm the victim suffered as a result of the State's failures". The judge admonished the State for failing to provide the victim with a family atmosphere where she could grow up like every other child and noted how the first rape allegations were not investigated properly and in a timely fashion, creating a snowball effect of mistrust and vulnerability. The case raised eyebrows and left many asking why the agen- cy and its social workers did not involve the police at the time and whether it is acceptable for a child to spend time at her social worker's house. Mandatory reporting of abuse now law The FSWS said it has since up- 'Rape incidents should have never gone unreported' Social welfare agency apologises to woman raped as a child in State care