Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1545300
6 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 10 JUNE 2026 NEWS JULIANA ZAMMIT jzammit@mediatoday.com.mt Gozo church commission 'processing' case of priest who brokered rape case deal THE Gozo church's Safeguarding Commission has confirmed the case involving a priest who acted as intermediary to silence a rape victim is being investigated. Lorraine Borg, the head of the commission, told MaltaToday in an interview published today that the case concerning Fr Mi- chael Said is "currently being pro- cessed". She declined to give details about the process and what ac- tion will be taken, if at all. "I cannot comment on the de- tails at this stage," she said, add- ing "the case is being looked into." Said had mediated a €7,000 pay- ment in 2008 to the family of a 14-year-old rape victim, allegedly encouraging them to withdraw the criminal complaint rather than pursue court proceedings. The complaint named multiple men, including the brothers of former PN MP Chris Said. The girl's family members later testi- fied that they felt pressured into withdrawing the complaint. All four accused were acquitted giv- en that the complaint was with- drawn. The case resurfaced last March when the acquittal was confirmed on appeal. Borg said the case is being pro- cessed in line with the Vos Estis Lux Mundi guidelines, a frame- work introduced by Pope Fran- cis in 2019 specifically to hold church authorities accountable for covering up or obstructing the reporting of abuse. Unlike standard safeguard- ing procedures, which deal with direct perpetrators, Vos Estis applies to those who enabled, concealed, or interfered with complaints. Borg was careful to set out the commission's role in the process. "We always carry out a prelimi- nary investigation, we do not pass judgment, we make recommen- dations," she said. "You cannot rush to give statements just be- cause a judgment has come out." On the question of public ac- countability, Borg acknowledged that people have a right to infor- mation, but only to a point. "The public has a right to know, to a certain extent," she said. Pope Francis updating proce- dures aimed at preventing and countering crimes that betray the trust of the faithful, to be adopted universally Pope Francis updating proce- dures aimed at preventing and countering crimes that betray the trust of the faithful, to be adopted universally She said that speaking too open- ly while a case is still being pro- cessed risks deterring others from coming forward. "If someone is thinking about whether to come to us, and they see the head of the commission speaking to the me- dia, they might wonder: 'Will she speak about my case tomorrow?' That is why I feel the need, espe- cially at this point while the case is still being processed, to hold back." A 160-page judgment, she add- ed, does not tell the full story. "Very often, we end up com- menting more on the headlines and the titles than on the actual case. We need to see it in its total- ity. We have to be very cautious, above all, to safeguard the victim and her entire family." Borg acknowledged that no action was taken when Said's in- volvement first became public in 2008. "The commission didn't exist then; the policy didn't exist and neither did mandatory re- porting," she said. That gap meant the case lay dormant for nearly two decades before the Court of Appeal ruling brought it back into public view earlier this year. Gozo church's Safeguarding Commission confirms Fr Michael Said's (inset) case over his role in acting as intermediary to silence a rape victim is 'currently being processed' Consumers warned of high hydrocyanic acid in linseed CONSUMERS have been warned not to eat ApnaBaba Linseed after tests revealed high levels of hydrocyanic acid. The Food Safety and Security Authority (FSSA) said labora- tory analysis of samples col- lected during routine controls revealed that the product may contain hydrocyanic acid lev- els above the limits established under European Union food safety regulations. Consumers who have pur- chased the affected product are being advised not to consume it. The authority has urged the public to either dispose of the product or return it to the re- tailer from which it was pur- chased. The FSSA said it remains available to provide further information to consumers. Members of the public can contact the Authority on +356 26025000 between 8am and 3pm, Monday to Friday, or by email at info.fssa@gov.mt. MATTHEW FARRUGIA mfarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt Consumers who have purchased the affected product are being advised not to consume it