Social workers condemn racist attack on Daboma Jack

The Maltese Association of Social Workers has condemned the racist attack on a Hungarian student who was spat at, slapped and racially insulted while trying to instill order in a queue at the Valletta bus terminus.

Daboma Jack, a 27-year-old father of two studying in Malta, was last Wednesday racially insulted by a Maltese woman and told to “go back to your country”, before he was pinned to the ground and handcuffed by officers from the Rapid Intervention Unit.

The incident subsequently saw Helena Dalli, the civil liberties minister, apologise on behalf of the Maltese people, and in an interview with MaltaToday, Daboma Jack said his experience should be a stepping-stone towards creating awareness of the need for dialogue.

“The next step is to move forward. I am the one who was spat at and treated badly … but I believe that is the time to change and to create awareness, and educate people,” he told MaltaToday. 

In a statement, the Maltese Association of Social Workers said that any forms of violent behaviour or attacks based on one’s race or any other differing qualities have no place in Malta.

“Social workers value equality and believe that the Maltese society has a duty and obligation to respect diversity in the different contexts it manifests itself in.”

The Authority also called on the authorities to promote respect for human dignity and reciprocal respects towards each other, for the sake of both the victims as well as society in general.