Farrugia accuses minister of justifying Debono Grech’s ‘threats’

Independent MP Marlene Farrugia has accused civil liberties minister Helena Dalli of attempting to justify alleged threats made against her by Labour MP Joe Debono Grech.

“Rather than doing her duty and speaking out on behalf of women who have suffered from violence, Dalli is instead trying to justify Debono Grech’s disgusting behaviour,” Farrugia said in a Facebook post. 

Dalli used her adjournment in this afternoon’s parliamentary session to condemn women who “play the victim” after “provoking” men into a violent response. 

“Women who insult others must be prepared to get insulted back, and shouldn’t get to claim that the reaction was due to their gender,” she said. “People shouldn’t receive any special allowances simply for being a woman.

“Women who victimize themselves in such a manner are actually doing a great disservice to those women who are truly suffering from domestic violence.”

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil this morning presented a parliamentary motion demanding that Speaker Anglu Farrugia’s ruling be changed to condemn and suspend Debono Grech for telling Marlene Farrugia that he would “come and beat [her] up” during Friday’s siting. Labour MPs had also accused their former colleague of calling Debono Grech a “simpleton”, “corrupt” and that “nobody wanted him”.

In his ruling on Monday, the Speaker ordered both MPs to retract their comments, prompting the Opposition to walk out in a show of protest that the Speaker’s identical treatment of both cases.

In her Facebook post, Farrugia condemned Dalli’s reaction as “shameful”.

“It is no wonder that battered women have lost heart in seeking protection and justice in this country, when somebody like minister Dalli is in charge of the sector.”