Caritas Malta Director Mgr Victor Grech today proposed the setting up of a Drugs Court in which the judiciary would have the support of a multi-disciplinary team to thoroughly examine the level of responsibility of a person suspected of a drugs-related offence and take measures which promote intensive care in line with the needs of the individual concerned. This would also drastically reduce the number of cases pending before the Courts.

Mgr. Grech said that this proposal was being made to safeguard the holistic requirements of the human person, and to strike a balance between the rights of a suspect and those of society. “If we believe in the benefits of the Drugs Court, the human and financial resources will be found,” he emphasised.

Mgr Grech was speaking at an Evening of Solidarity with persons who had successfully completed their programme of rehabilitation from drug abuse, and others who were still undergoing such a programme. The evening was presided over by President Dr. George Abela and attended by the Prime Minister Dr. Lawrence Gonzi, the Archbishop, Mgr. Paul Cremona, O.P., the Minister of Education, Employment and the Family Dolores Cristina, the Chief Justice Dr. Silvio Camilleri and other distinguished guests.

In his comments, Mgr. Grech said that Caritas Malta believed that many youths who were seeking help were not criminals, but individuals who needed care. Caritas Malta did not believe that punishment and imprisonment were the best methods to correct the behaviour of these youths, except in cases where the person concerned was a danger to society, such as through involvement in the trafficking of drugs and organised crime.

Persons who had successfully undergone a lengthy programme of rehabilitation and re-established themselves with their family and society, and were in employment should not be sent to prison on cases which had been pending for years on end, as that would be detrimental to the persons concerned and their families. Supervised community work would give better results, said Mgr. Grech.

The fact that youths were beginning to experiment with drugs when they were still at school, sometimes at the age of 11 or 12, said Mgr. Grech, strongly indicated that the strategy of a coordinated prevention education system should be strongly intensified to promote healthy lifestyles and train schoolchildren to make responsible choices and decisions.

Mgr Grech said that Caritas Malta agreed with the proposed Bill on Parole with some reservations, and believed that persons with dependence on drugs or alcohol should nonetheless be encouraged to undergo a rehabilitation programme under probation.

It would be a great mistake, said Mgr. Grech, if drugs in Malta were to be decriminalised or liberalised as had been proposed recently by the Global Commission on Drug Policy, as the harm that was being done would only grow bigger. Caritas Malta believed that all drugs, including cannabis, were harmful, sometimes with irreversible consequences.

Mgr Grech emphasised the need for a wider recognition of the resources within the family, and the fact that these should be developed through a policy that favoured the strengthening of the family.

The audience attending the Evening of Solidarity was also addressed by the Archbishop of Malta, Mgr. Paul Cremona, O.P. who said that Caritas Malta’s work in the field of rehabilitation from drug abuse was the fruit of Christian motivation, and was based on the love of God towards humanity. Besides offering the possibility of rehabilitation, these programmes also provided an opportunity, to those who wanted it, to find moral strength through the presence of Christ.

The President of Malta, Dr George Abela, who also spoke during this event (see separate report), presented certificates to the 16 persons who had successfully completed their rehabilitation programmes with Caritas Malta.

Clients in the process of rehabilitation presented songs, dance and a play during the Evening of Solidarity, while others spoke of their experiences.

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