Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1545155
The following are excerpts from the interview. The full interview can be found on maltatoday.com.mt as well as our Facebook and Spotify pages. PHOTOS: DANIEL TIHN / MALTA TODAY 5 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 31 MAY 2026 INTERVIEW For those unfamiliar with how the commission works, can you walk us through what happens from the moment a referral arrives? Once a referral comes in, it can come directly to us or go first to the bishop, who then informs us. The bishop must issue a decree appointing us to conduct a preliminary investigation, a risk assessment, or both, depending on the case. Canon Law is clear that whoever investigates cannot also pass judgment, so we carry out the investigation and make recommendations, but we do not decide the outcome. It is the bishop who decides whether and how to act on them. There are three main bodies within the commission: My office as head of commission, the safeguarding office itself, which handles victim care and can offer therapy, and the prevention and training team. Then there is the advisory board, which is made up of professionals, including a psychiatrist and a paediatrician. They review what the investigation team has gathered and make recommendations to the bishop. I attend those meetings, but I do not vote, precisely to maintain that independence. Beyond that, there is a review board that the bishop can convene if he has doubts about the conclusions reached. What are the criteria for refer- ring a case to the police? If the case falls under Maltese law, specifically the Protection of Minors Act, it will always be referred to the police or child protection services. If the victim is a minor, we are legally obliged to report, even if the victim or their family does not want us to. We have had cases like that. If the abuse happened when the victim was a minor, but they are now an adult, we cannot report on their behalf, but we strongly encourage them to do so, and we offer to accompany them to the police. I also want to make clear that within the church, there is no time-bar on cases. A case from 30 years ago can still come to us, and we will hear it. Even if it cannot be opened in the civil courts, we will still carry out a risk assessment or preliminary investigation. A victim is always a victim, regardless of when it happened. What happens when a victim refuses to report to the police; does the commission close the case? No. The process continues regardless. If we are legally obliged to report, we will report. If we are not, because the victim is an adult and the law does not compel us, the case still proceeds internally. The bishop is informed, the decree is issued, the investigation happens, and the advisory board makes its recommendations. We cannot force anyone, but we will not simply drop it, because we are not only protecting the individual victim in front of us. We are also trying to protect future victims. How long does a preliminary investigation typically take, and what happens when it runs longer than expected? There is no fixed timeframe, but we always keep in mind that victims are waiting. They need to know what is happening, it is not unlike being before a court, where you are waiting on a process you cannot control. So, from the start, we explain what to expect, to give them as much sense of control as possible. From our side, we try not to delay unnecessarily. But some cases take longer because they depend on decisions from the civil courts, and we cannot close a case while those proceedings are ongoing. The number of people involved, the type of evidence, and how clear that evidence is all affect how long it takes before we can deliver our findings to the advisory board, and they can issue their recommendations. A recent Court of Appeal ruling mentioned Fr Michael Said as an intermediary in connection with a 2008 rape case. Is the commis- sion investigating? The case is currently being processed in accordance with policy and the Vos Estis Lux Mundi guidelines. I cannot comment on the details at this stage. What I can say is that we act only within the parameters set by policy, and we follow the guidelines carefully. The case is being looked at. I understand that people want answers. The public has a right to know, to a point. But I also have a responsibility to future victims— people who are thinking about whether to come forward and who might be watching how we handle this. If I say too much too soon, while a process is still ongoing, I risk putting them off. I must be very careful. A 160-page court judgment does not contain everything, and it is very easy to end up commenting on headlines rather than on the full picture. Do you think the commission is being transparent enough? I believe we are doing what we should be doing. I also believe it is never enough. In this area; it is never enough. We are always working to do better, particularly for victims and their families. What I will say is that the commission's role is not only to handle cases but also to prevent them and provide training. Basic things: Ensuring no adult is ever alone with a minor, that rooms have windows, and that there are no isolated spaces. These things are tangible. They make the church safer for everyone.