Families hauled to court after church fracas over child’s Holy Communion photos

Two upstanding families whose names cannot be mentioned by court order in a bid to protect the identity of a minor, appeared in court this morning charged with breaking the public peace and fighting on a church parvis when an argument erupted over photographs taken of a young girl during his first Holy Communion.

Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit told off the disputing families, for having irresponsibly neglected the interests of their children as the sole victims of a bitter separation dispute.

"Why are you being so ridiculous so as not to see how your actions are traumatising young children? My experience in this courtroom isthat children who are subjected to such bitterness grow up to let out their anger by using drugs, and God forbid, also resorting to suicide," Magistrate Stafrace Zammit said.

The incident goes back to last June, when the daughter of the separating couple attended her First Holy Communion mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Birkirkara.

With the two families in dispute, the mother-in-law took it upon herself to take the pictures on the day, but argued that she didn't want the young girl to have their photographs taken with the two families together.

Tension was running high before the mass, with the girl's parents exchanging angry text messages between them, while the father alleged that a member of his in-law's family tried to trip him as he walked up the aisle with his daughter who was to receive Holy Communion.

The fight developed as soon as mass was over and an argument ensued over the photographs to be taken with the girl and the two families.

The Court heard how kicks and punches were thrown, involving young and elderly family members, some of whom needed medical assistance.

While putting off the case to a later date, Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit ordered that the two parties involved agree on requesting a child psychologist to assist the children.

The request however, was to be made before the Family Court, where the parents remain in dispute over their separation proceedings.

When the report will be finalised, Magistrate Stafrace Zammit will then proceed with hearing the case concerning the fracas.