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Over 100 people seeking refuge in homeless shelters

Over 100 people seeking refuge in homeless shelters 77 men and 25 women seeking homeless shelter services in Malta 31 May 2021, 5:49pm by Karl Azzopardi There are 102 people in homeless shelters around Malta, a parliamentary question has revealed. The information was tabled in the House by Minister Michael Falzon following a parliamentary question by Labour MP Oliver Scicluna. 77 people housed in the shelters are male, while 25 are females. Falzon said the shelters are fully financed by the government at a yearly cost of €10,050,000. Fondazzjoni Dar il-Hena, which serves as an emergency shelter for the homeless, is also allocated a yearly sum of €835,000. Karl Azzopardi is deputy online editor and an IGM press awards (Human Stories) winner of 2.

Substantial drop in care orders amid concern over court sensitivity, delays

However, only two care orders were issued between July and December, des-pite 639 referrals. Not all referrals merit a care order. In all, a total of 14 care orders were issued in 2020, down from 39 in 2019 and 50 in 2018. Family Minister Michael Falzon sounded concern over a lack of flexibility and cooperation from the courts when it came to child protection issues. Discussing amendments to the protection law in parliament earlier this month, he flagged the courts’ “lack of sensitivity” and expressed “frustration” about delays in court proceedings and decisions. In comments to Delays are extremely detrimental to a child’s development “All speakers – both from the government and opposition side – expressed concern over how court proceedings related to children’s issues were materialising,” the spokesperson said.

More than 80,000 cannot afford an unexpected expense, survey shows

More than 80,000 people in Malta cannot afford to face an unexpected financial expense and more than double that number are unable to pay for a one-week holiday away from home, a national annual survey of material deprivation has found.  The 2020 survey found that the rates of both material deprivation rose by 0.3 percentage points over the past year, with 8.7 per cent of Malta’s population - 43,733 people - classified that way. On the other hand, the rate of severe material deprivation fell by 0.3 percentage points to 16,636 people.  National Statistics Office surveyors estimated the total number of people living in private households in 2019 to be 484,683, rising to 505,014 in 2020.

Professionals now legally obliged to report child abuse suspicions

Any professional who is in contact with children is now legally obliged to report any suspicion of abuse, following the introduction of mandatory reporting rules under the Minor Protection Act.  The new requirements oblige professionals who come into contact with children, formally or informally, to report any abuse suspicions they may have, without the fear of facing prosecution if the suspicion turns out to be ill-founded. Professionals who do not report suspicious incidents could be prosecuted.  Reports can be filed online and are handled by child protection services. Guidelines for professionals outline examples of incidents that should immediately prompt a report, incidents that should prompt further consultation and others that do not meet the reporting bar. 

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