Commissioner announces new measures aimed at tackling allegations of abuse within voluntary sector

The Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations has announced new measures aimed at tackling allegations of abuse within the voluntary sector.

Any individual or administrator, worker, volunteer or any other person that receives a service from a voluntary organisation, registered or otherwise, that feels to be the victim of aggression or abused is encouraged to confidentially inform the Office of the Commissioner on [email protected].

Organisations themselves are obliged through this policy to report the same type of cases on the same email address.

Commissioner Jesmond Saliba explained that since Maltese law stipulates that such acts could be criminal, civil or both, the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations, will be referring such cases immediately to the Commissioner of Police for investigation to determine whether such cases would be of a criminal nature.

“In this way, we can ascertain that the victims that emerge from these situations will be safeguarded in every way possible,” Saliba explained.

Saliba added that he believes “wholeheartedly” in the work of the voluntary sector and its social impact and therefore he had and will keep having the duty to safeguard the sector in every aspect from whoever has any ulterior motives which could harm voluntary work and the sector itself.

The new measures come as the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations had received allegations of sexual misconduct by the senior management of YMCA, and has since passed on all information to police