Civil servant charged with defiling infant children has been suspended from work

A civil servant who last week was charged in court with corruption of minors has been suspended from work, MaltaToday has learnt.

The father, 33, and his wife are both pleading not guilty to charges of corruption of minors and producing, possessing or distributing, indecent images of their children. 

The man is also accused of causing his three-year-old son to live in fear of violence.

MaltaToday is informed that the man is a principal with the public service.

“The officer in question is currently suspended,” the Office of the Principal Permanent Secretary confirmed with MaltaToday.

The Office explained that, in such cases where a civil servant is facing criminal proceedings, an established procedure unfolds where the public officer is disciplined according to the disciplinary procedures of the Public Service Commission. This includes suspension on half pay.

This is not the first time that the PSC had to take action against public officers facing criminal proceedings. According to the most recent report published for the year 2015, the Commission had 53 recommendations to give, which included the temporary suspension of 20 public officers pending outcome of criminal court cases. In 13 other cases involving criminal proceedings, the employees concerned were acquitted.

News of the court arraignment of the young Birkirkara couple sent shockwaves across the Maltese community, as the prosecuting inspector stated: “This is child porn that was not downloaded off the internet but taken by the accused of their own children.”

According to the reports that emerged from court, the couple were found in possession of over 70 photos and videos showing their children, aged just 3-and-a-half and a year and a half, touching the their father’s private parts, showering together with their parents and other nudity in a domestic setting.

Police inspector Joseph Busuttil explained that, in the majority of photos, the father was naked with the children. He also said that the mother and father would take turns to shoot indecent photographs and videos of themselves with the children.