Two men were sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge following their conviction for assaulting and wounding two BirdLife Malta employees near Magħtab three years ago.
The assault occurred on the 10th of March 2022, when BirdLife Malta employees were walking along a public road flanking a boatyard, conducting an investigation on reports of trapping illegally at Għallis. As they made their way back to their vehicle, a father and son left the boatyard, shouting abuse and recording the team. When one of the conservationists began recording for safety reasons, one of the trappers attempted to take hold of her phone and injure her in the process. His son then shoved another member of staff into a rubble wall and attempted to punch her, also inflicting minor injuries.
The incident was immediately reported at the Naxxar Police Station, with evidence of medical certificates and photos presented to the court. Yesterday Magistrate Yana Micallef Stafrace found Joseph Grech and Carmel Grech guilty of physically assaulting members of BirdLife Malta. Pushing, insulting words, and threatening charges were acquitted as the Executive Police had failed to present evidence of notice having been served on the accused persons within the three-month legal period, which rendered the charges time-barred.
Reacting to the ruling, BirdLife Malta CEO Mark Sultana denounced a lack of police cooperation and stated: “BirdLife Malta is well-versed with the laws and regulations, and we adhere to them, along with our internal protocols designed to safeguard the wellbeing of our team members in the field. The least we expect is full cooperation from the police when such incidents occur to ensure justice is served. The lack of evidence proving that the culprits were notified in time has allowed them to evade the full consequences of their unacceptable actions. A letter will be sent to the Commissioner of Police regarding this matter.”
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