Care order issued for siblings
A care order has been issued for the siblings of a seven-year-old Nigerian girl who was found dead in a private private institution, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told Parliament yesterday.
The girl was found dead on 22 January, at an institution where she lived with her family.
Muscat said he wanted to be mindful of what he said because of the ongoing magisterial inquiry.
He said that the child and her family had resided in Malta for many years.
“This family was not, as reported, in an institution run by state, but in another institution. Over the last hours, on advice by social workers responsible, the minister (for social solidarity) was advised to sign a care order for other other children in the family.
“I am not in a position to tell Parliament when the care order process began as I do not have that information.”
He was able to say, however, that it arrived in the minister’s hands after the incident.
He said that the Nigerian community spoke with the authorities and expressed concern regarding this family, and that they urged for a care order to be issued.
The Prime Minister said that he does not have enough information to exclude any foul play.
He did not want to name the institution in question, saying that it does good work, and wants to wait to see how the situation evolves.
Nationalist MP Robert Cutajar asked the PM to confirm whether Agenzija Appogg was informed that the child was not going to school and whether it could have taken action on this information before.
The Prime Minister said he was not in a position to comment as he did not have the details.
The Family and Social Solidarity Ministry later said it had appointed an independent inquiry, headed by retired judge Philip Sciberras.
The ministry said it had appointed this inquiry despite the fact that there never was a care order for the minors involved and the fact that Agenzija Appogg was not responsible for the residence where the family lived.
Earlier, the Emigrants Commission said the girl was not under the care of a Church entity.
It said that the girl lived with her family in a house lent to them by Dominican Sisters after a request made in 2016 by the Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers, a government agency.
Call for thorough investigation
The Platform of Human Rights Organisations in Malta (PHROM) yesterday said it was the primary duty of the State to ‘ensure the child such protection and care as is necessary for his or her well-being.’
“When the State makes arrangements for children, with or without their families, to be accommodated in non-state institutions, such as those run by non-governmental organisations, the State is not relieved of its duties in relation to the children,” it said.
“At all times and under all circumstances, the best interests of the child should be the primary consideration in all interactions with children.
“With children who are vulnerable or at risk of vulnerability, these interests are of course more pressing. We therefore urge the authorities to ensure a prompt and thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to this girl’s death. In particular, it is imperative to clarify whether any preventive measures could have been taken to avoid this loss.
“This will help maintain or restore confidence in Malta’s institutions tasked to provide care to vulnerable families, including to vulnerable migrant families, and ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future.”