Children's Commissioner makes her case against divorce

Commissioner for Children Helen D’Amato warns against “extremism” in how children’s issues are addressed in the divorce campaign.

Children's Commissioner Helen d'Amato has insisted that children "have a right" to be informed of the effects of divorce.

In a meeting with anti-divorce lobby Zwieg Bla Divorzju, the former Nationalist MP warned against "extremism" in the usage of children in the divorce referendum campaign, but said they should be informed of the effects of the divorce. She was answering a question by MaltaToday on warning by the former head of social welfare services Joe Gerada that children were being dragged into the debate in a “simplistic manner”.

"Divorce is neither a solution for the suffering of children experiencing marital breakdown... nor will it turn all children into victims," D'Amato said.

Warning against "absolutism and simplistic arguments", D'Amato said children were also the most affected parties, alongside the spouses, in marital breakdown.

She underlined the importance of children being able to grow up in a stable family environment. She said it is an internationally recognised concept that children should benefit from a stable family. “Without a stability, there can be no happiness.”

She expressed concern at the potential backlash that would follow the introduction of divorce, emphasising that the State was already tasked with having to address the damage that separation is causing.

She cited studies by clinical psychologist Joan Kelly and Prof Robert Emery of the University of Virginia "showed children in their first family are at reduced risk from emotional trauma or even developing mental health complications than those living with second (reconstituted) families through cohabitation or remarriage."

Referring specifically to mental health, D’Amato said that while 10% of children coming from families without divorce are at risk of having mental health problems, children coming from families who have gone through the process of divorce face a 25% risk.

She however said that “I am not passing judgment on those who are opting to separate.”

She said that given how separation is already causing emotional damage to children, “the state should not give the option to adults to further undermine marital stability (through divorce). It can be a solution for adults in how they chose to live their lives, but will this help children?” she asked.

D’Amato indirectly referred to an argument tabled by the pro-divorce lobby that divorce would help the one-in-three children born outside wedlock. She said that many of the children were born to women who were never married, while others still were born to women aged under 18.

“We cannot say that divorce will help these children, as most of them are not being kept ‘outside’ wedlock by the lack of divorce,” she said. She conceded that some of the women might be unmarried because their partner is separated.

D’Amato also referred to studies which were conducted abroad, which she said “showed that in countries where there is divorce, marriage has grown down while cohabitation has gone up.”

In this, she reiterated one of the anti-divorce lobby’s long-time arguments – that the introduction of divorce would undermine the principle of a lasting marriage. She said that this is more significant in the case of children that are yet to be born.

She supported her argument by referring to an Italian soap Un Medico in Famiglia which tells the story of a young girl from a divorced marriage who is living in a second family while trying to reunite her biological parents. "Some children of divorced families will want to see their parents united despite the tensions".

Asked by MaltaToday whether the decrease in marriage and the increase in cohabitation abroad could be attributed to changing socio-economic values as opposed to the introduction of divorce, D’Amato questioned what came first. “Is it chicken or the egg?” she said, pointing to divorce as one of the factors that could have influenced socio-economic trends that led to fewer marriages and more cohabitation.

Zwieg bla Divorzju spokesperson Arthur Galea Salomone said the movement had opted to put children at the heart of its message – “those who have the least say in the matter, and far less possess the means to influence a decision which will affect them directly,” he said.

He cited the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child: "State Parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child.”

He hit out at the pro-divorce movement’s billboards which referred to children outside wedlock as “bgħula” (bastards) and questioned the ‘shock value’ justification. “I question what else they would resort to in order to impose divorce on a country that is recognising that it goes against national good.”

He said that because of this, the movement should sensitive the public as to what they are saying.

He however defended the lobby’s use of the term ‘divorce without reason (divorzju bla raġuni)" saying this is not a mis-translation of the definition ‘no fault divorce’ but a “true statement.”

He said that given how a spouse can decide to divorce from one moment to the next without a justifiable reason, or even while being at fault, the divorce is does not concern itself with who is at fault.

When asked how this differentiated from separation as it currently stands, which also does not require any ‘justification’ or ‘reason’, Galea Salomone was evasive.

Galea Salomone was also asked by the media whether the Zwieg Bla Divorzju lobby would take a position against the impending cohabitation legislation soon to be tabled in parliament. On whether the lobby would be for or against, Galea Salomone was non-committal. “We will see when the law is presented.”

He however said hat the movement will oppose any law that will give the rights of married couples to cohabiting couples. He however said the movement would support laws that would address ‘exploitation’ of cohabiting partners.

He also hit out at the pro-divorce movement’s billboards which referred to children outside wedlock as “bgħula” (bastards) and questioned the ‘shock value’ justification.

“I question what else they would resort to in order to impose divorce on a country that is recognising that it goes against national good.”

avatar
@mg. You are right, she did miss school, got paid and followed a political carreer. If she was not PN, she will be a total unknown. She is a frivolous despicable hypocrite. Pretending to be Saint D'Amato. Really
avatar
Hasn't anyone told this holy freak that Biological parents (as per in Medico in Famiglia - a fiction which I watch) - are not necessarily the best of parents. What about those parents who adopted kids and love them as if their own - they are not biological parents but the love concept is still there. Funny how Helen Damato actually pointed out just one point from Un Medico In Famiglia - She did not actually say how the two kids of Dr. Martini get on so well with his partner and they live like a family with both partners - divorced and one of them expecting a divorce - and looking forward to getting married again. Please have the courage to state the whole scenario Helen D'Amato now what you deemed fit. Actually I'm not surprised that you quoted what you liked. Un Medico in Famiglia also highlights acceptance of other ethnicities (like in the case of the Indian Family (2 series ago) and now the Jewish religion. Tolerance - actually is another aspect of Un Medico in Famiglia which D'Amato fails to point out as it is not a government agenda here in Malta - since Intolerance is the order of the day. When you quote a programme or a reading do have the decency to quote everything not what you deem fit for the circumstances. That way you literally insult people's intelligence - and believe me that can very much back fire on you.
avatar
Abdi D
The commissioner of children should tell us how children are effected when their teachers take days off to persue a political career.
avatar
My my with Jesus behind her she wants to impress on us that she is one of the chosen ones.All of a sudden these people have become sooooooooooooooo saintly.
avatar
Ms. D'Amato should butt out. Even tough she fixed her teeth, she is still not photogenic.
avatar
It takes a Maltese priest to come up with 'scientific' data to prove that his 'anti-divorce faith based' thesis; that is that children suffer more with divorced parents than with fueding ones! This is all the result of an other PN-Church collusion; important posts at the Univirsity are reserved for priests. No wonder we have , sociologists, psychologists, philosophers, law makers, medical ethics, who are all priests; not because of their merit but because it is expedient for the Church to continue with its privelleges. The Church/State seperation issue in the divorce, is just a tiny bit of the whole problem; that is interference with the Church to run Malta as the Vatican fief! Yep; long live the Liberal Party of Malta and its psuedo-liberal intellectuals; only in Malta!
avatar
Since the Children's Commissioner has insisted that children "have a right" to be informed of the effects of divorce, why not ask all children who are in this situation (and who are not) to give their opinion. In this way the Children's Commissioner will be backed up by probably the only complete research ever conducted. To Helen D'Amato : Please do it before the referendum and please have all the questions approved by the Curia, the lobby group in favour of divorce and the lobby group against divorce. Good luck - hard work ahead - tight deadline - your own research .
avatar
What a farce!! If Arthur Galea Salomone invites me to his next public meeting I can present a 2007 study by the American Psycological Association (APA) that proves that children in broken marriages recover much faster once their parents divorce, as opposed to those who remain subjected to a marriage made in hell. Obviously he won't as they are only interested in convenient studies made by political appointees with little or no experience. However, one claim made by Helen D'Amato was that according to her children suffer irrespective of whether parents go through a separation, annulment or divorce. Considering that the Movement Against Divorce (MAD) is not against annulments or separations, I bet Galea Salomone must have wished he never invited her. This claim (although as I pointed out above is very dubious) kills off another ZbD myth. To have any credibility left MAD needs to start speaking out against annulments especially church annulments and separations altogether. Obviously they won't. As time goes on MAD's campaign strongly reminds me of the spin campaign the PN launched against Arnold Cassola during the MEP elections a few years ago claiming he was in favour of abortion to try and discredit him.
avatar
Luke Camilleri
To be credible, Ms. Damato should have commented a while back when the news came out that Fr. Joe Borg was exposed by e-mails to Parish Priests requesting information and personal DATA on children within their parishes to be used in his "undercover" campaignes with the anti-divorce movement. Ms. Damato said nothing that nobody knows that children from broken families suffer! Now we await Ms. Damato to pronounce herself on Fr. Joe Borg. Oris just another glove puppet in the National Punch and Judy show run by the Gonzi cotterie??? http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/children-should-be-used-in-anti-divorce-campaign-%E2%80%93-fr-joe-borg Fr Borg is suggesting that parish chaplains forward them a list of separated couples and children from broken marriages to speak “intelligently” against a law on divorce. Now we await for the Commissioner of Data to pronounce himself as well!
avatar
The most vulnerable children are the one's who are in a bad marriage, where every day there is tension, fights, argues etc.... Upon the bad marriages she should have opened her mouth, not on seperated annulled or divorced, from where she thinks people eat?
avatar
With Jesus for her backdrop!!!!
avatar
So now we know - the Commissioner for Children get her opinions from Soap Operas. No wonder the electorate said "Thanks, but no thanks" and did not re-elect her to parliament.
avatar
Another PN appointee trying to score some points with her political masters. And once again - where the hell was she on the issue on child abuse? Vera pajjiz tan-nejk. Taliban fil-Mediterran.
avatar
@ Markinu: It means that she is not objective: therefore what she says it has to be taken with a pinch of salt. But then, I don't recall Helen D'Amato being a sociologist, a psychologist or a social scientist at that. She suffers from the Maltese syndrome of having an opinion on everything and therefore she cannot be taken seriously as a social scientist professional, though, she probably was a good teacher.
avatar
So according to all of you posting here, whoever is against divorce is close-minded and manipulated. Had she been pro-divorce it would have been exactly the other way round - the best children's commissioner ever. Very well indeed...
avatar
What does Helen d'Amato think of child abuse including clerical child abuse? Since she clearly has no problem lending her office to the anti-divorce campaign and deciding for children on her own while dismissing the rights of their parents to do so. Way to go, children of this country really beware if their future and right to privacy lies in her hands.
avatar
Joseph Sant
So after a long period of somnolence the Commissioner for Children suddenly wakes up, stretches out and proceeds to belch out a lot of meaningless hot air. Like all the arguments we have heard so far from the No movement nothing of what she parrots out is specific to divorce. If children are at greater risk of emotional trauma or developing mental health complications from living with second (reconstituted) families through cohabitation or remarriage she should know we already have such a situation. We even have remarriages following annulments and divorces obtained from abroad. Before the Commissioner for Children conducts a study in Malta specifically dealing with children living in reconstituted families all she says would be mere hogwash.
avatar
She had better be against divorce. The next day we would have had a NEW commissioner for children.
avatar
They have even corrupted the Office of the Commissioner for Children...but then political appointees are just that: easily bought, sold and not expected to think for themselves! Have no illusion. The 'NO' vote will prevail: one expects little from a population who in its majority is poorly schooled, superstitious and easily led! Did you expect any different from Mrs D'Amato?
avatar
OK, we know she is a political appointee. . is this the reverse scientific method, where one first decides the position to support, and then looks for information that supports one's views while ignoring the information that contradicts it?
avatar
An other exponent of the Liberal Party! She is just an apparatchik and simple parrots GonziPN's medieval dogmas.
avatar
Trollface, don't be a trollface... as if it's a photo taken during the event. Photos are put by Maltatoday. And you know Maltatoday are far from having an anti-divorce stand.
avatar
La fi kliem Helen Damato it-tfal dejjem se jbatu sija jekk b annullament, separazzjoni u koabitazzjoni u divorzju allura il-ghala id-divorzju mghandux jidhol ghawn malta. Forsi ghax xi hadd se tispiccalu il-pappa.Ma ndahqux izjed lid-dinja bina tinsewx li qeghdin fit 2011.
avatar
Ir-ritratt b'Gesu warajha ta' haduh lol
avatar
That's a shame from her to say! These are some from the many divorced families: Halle Berry, Barack Obama, Penelope Cruz, Lewis hamilton,Michael Phelps,Alain delon, Tom Cruise, Ed Bradley, Prince William Arthur Philip Louis ,Alexander hamilton,Rihanna etc. etc.
avatar
Aktar ma wiehed ikun injorant aktar jahseb li jkun jaf kollox. Filwaqt li aktar ma wiehed ikun jaf aktar jaghraf x’fadallu jitghallem. Kif kien jghid Mintoff il-hmar hallih jinhaq biex taghrfu. Hekk gralha l-kummisarju tat-tfal. Hlief hmerijiet ma hargux minn fommha. Kieku ghandha nitfa ntelligenza tirrizenja minnufih u qabel sena ohra ma tidhirx quddiem in-nies. Nghid ghaliex. At present marital breakdowns in Malta are due to Civil and Church annulments and due to legal separations. Divorce as proposed can only be applied for after at least four years of legal separation and provided that there is no hope of reconciliation. With the ‘no fault divorce’, the children would be spared the trauma to give again evidence against their parents. This evidence would normally be given during the separation process. X’tixtiequ intom in-negattivi li tergghu tifthu l-pjaga mill-gdid? As the ‘No fault divorce’ can only be applied for after a minimum of four years after legal separation the argument of the chicken and the egg does not apply only that you changed your egg to a froga! How is it that the LE supporters seem not to worry much about the children whose parents marriage was ecclesiastically annulled. L-iehor, l-gherf ta’ salamun kull meta jigi marsus ma jwegibx. Meta t-tnejn li intom tidhru quddiem Alla taghkom zguq li je jsaqsikom x’moghdrija urejtu ma dawk l-imsieken li z-zwieg taghhom falla u talli ma tridux ittuhom ic-cans li jghixu felici mill-gdid. Alla jrid jara lil kulhadd ferhan. Intom bil-kontra.
avatar
Luke Camilleri
And About time too! Still she mentioned nothing about Fr. Joe Borg's e-mails to Parish Priests to provide him with informaion on children from broken families in their parishes tob used, YES TO BE USED, - I would say abused! as one of the co-ordinators working undercover with the anti-divorce movement! What has the Gonzi nominated ex-PN Canditate has to say about this?
avatar
Flok il-kummisarju tat-tfal, Helen Damato toqghod tikkwota individwi barranin ghakiex ma tikkwotax x'jghidu terapisti tal-familja Maltin li qalu li ligi tad-divorzju mhux se zzid it-tbatija tat-tfal ghax it-tfal il-firda tal-genituri li tikkawzalhom it-tbatija. Sa kemm jasal id-divorzju, skond il-ligi proposta f'Malta, jridu jkunu ghaddew tal-inqas 4 snin, li hu zmien bizzejjed biex it-tfal ikunu draw is-sitwazzjoni taghhom. U jghidu wkoll li l-annullamenti huma aktar ta' problema biex it-tfal jifhmu s-sitwazzjoni taghhom. Forsi ghalhekk Helen damato ma titkellimx mal-ispecjalisti Maltin ! Rigward l-avukat galea Salomone, Alla hares l-argument li ghamel dwar iil-billboard: " Zwieg bla raguni " jghamilhom fil-qorti, ghax ma jirbahx kawza wahda !! eddy Privitera
avatar
Igor P. Shuvalov
“showed that in countries where there is divorce, marriage has grown down while cohabitation has gone up.” So according to Ms D'Amato cohabitation has gone up all over the world, except in Malta, the Phillipines and Malta. And how can whoever carried this study be sure that cohabitation has gone up due to divorce, when to have proof of this one has to compare countries which allow divorce, with countries who do not allow it? Did this researcher compare the whole world with Malta, the Phillipines and Malta?
avatar
And another Nationalist Person, (without any expert experience) just placed there for her political colour. Tell her to go and tell it to the marines.
avatar
"Asked by MaltaToday whether the decrease in marriage and the increase in cohabitation abroad could be attributed to changing socio-economic values as opposed to the introduction of divorce, D’Amato questioned what came first. “Is it chicken or the egg?” she said, pointing to divorce as one of the factors that could have influenced socio-economic trends that led to fewer marriages and more cohabitation." How Stupid! In the case of Malta it is certainly the socio-economic situation that is leading to marriage breakdown because as this expert hopefully knows, at the time of writing Malta has no divorce. She must also knopw that the principal factor governing socio-economic situations is the type of government and governance the country has. Money No Problem, selling of all the country's assets, helping yourself to an increase, and letting other generations pay debts is one factor that leads to a corrupt governing institution and a dysfunctional society.
avatar
Article 16. (1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution. (2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses. (3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State. Article 18. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance. http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml#atop
avatar
This one is NO expert! Come on...let's see her academic, publishing and research credentials to substantiate what she says. Citing here and there without heeding to the validity of the documentations and research evidence is something any Tom, Dick and Harry can do!! Her only credentials is that she is part of the GonziPN clan and not towing the line would cost her present position. So whatever she says must be taken as if anybody else with no expertise was saying it. Hers is just a personal opinion. FULL STOP!
avatar
Is it possible to know when, where or how she became such an expert. As far as I know she was only a teacher before enbarking on a political career. The irony of it all is that in the 70s she was a staunch Labour supporter. She converted to PN because her husband had a small hitch applying to a University coarse. Now she is an expert on family and children and I lecture quantum physics at Harvard University. What a sorry pathetic island
avatar
Tiddispra meta tkun taf li persuni li jajdu tant cuccati, u li ma jamlux sens, huma l'istess nies le qeghdin jigwidaw dan il meskin pajjiz. Xi hadd qalli, imma jekk jitilaw tal-labour, dawk sejrin ikunu ahjar minn dawk li ghandna bhalissa?? Izjed fill baxx milli qeghdin bhal issa ma nistawx naqaw. Miskina Malta. L'ikbar disappunt u li stennejna li Malta sejra tinbidel meta insiru parti mill EU. Fil fatt, XEJN ma inbidel. l'injoranza, u ikbar u ikbar, il-korruzjoni u l'arroganza, hemm ada. Anzi kibret.
avatar
Children have a right NOT TO BE MISINFORMED about divorce, for instance by trying to attribute the problems caused by marital breakdown to divorce. D'Amato mentions statistics about "families without divorce", when in fact those statistics compare stable marriages with broken marriages. An annulment has the same effects on the couple and on children as divorce does, and the same as separation except that remarriage is not possible. . She states that "in countries where there is divorce, marriage has grown down while cohabitation has gone up.", and omits to mention that in the two countries where there is no divorce, the exact same thing has happened. . The office of the commissioner for children has become a political lobby group and in doing so has abandoned its responsibility towards children.
avatar
Kemm tifilhu tghidu gideb. hu vera li tfal ikollhom iktar problemi meta koppja TISSEPARA U FAMILJA TITKISSER. id divorzju u soluzzjoni biex familja gdida tista tifforma. Kif tridu intom it talibani kristjani tridu thallu in nies pogguti ghall ghomorhom. Minn jaghzel dik it triq merhba bih, imma minn irrid jerga jizewweg u jghamel familja ghandu dritt inkluz it tfal. ovvjament din il krucjata hi ghall raguni wahda. jekk jidhol id divorce il knisja titlef id dhul finanzjarju tal annallument.