Six abuse cases substantiated by Malta Safeguarding Commission

The Malta Safeguarding Commission concluded 43 cases in 2025, six of which were substantiated. Of the 43 concluded cases, 40 subjects were individuals and two were entities; one individual featured across multiple cases. Among those 40 individuals, one was a diocesan priest, four were members of religious orders, 32 were lay people, and three could not be identified.

Five of the six substantiated cases involved minors. Three of those five concerned sexual abuse — all historical, meaning they occurred more than ten years ago — and involved one religious and two lay people. All three have been prohibited from working within the Church.

The remaining two minor-related cases involved physical abuse and a breach of professional boundaries respectively; both subjects of complaint, each a lay person, have been placed under restrictions. The sixth substantiated case concerned a vulnerable adult. The subject of complaint was a lay person whose conduct involved a breach of professional and sexual boundaries.

That individual has also been restricted. The Commission received a total of 47 referrals in 2025, involving 44 subjects of complaint. On the prevention side, the Commission and the Pastoral Formation Institute jointly delivered 36 training sessions to 1,111 Church personnel during the year.

The Commission also submitted 122 applications to the Courts of Malta to check whether Church personnel appeared on the Offenders' Register under the Protection of Minors (Registration) Act, a screening exercise covering 4,508 individuals. Those court applications relate to register checks, not prosecutions. The year also saw the first Safeguarding Conference held in Malta, hosted by the Archdiocese of Malta.

The event centred on shared responsibility for safeguarding and included panel discussions with social stakeholders. The keynote address was delivered by Bishop Ali Herrera, Secretary of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors at the Holy See. That Vatican body, in its own 2025 Annual Report, described Malta's Church safeguarding guidelines as "exemplary" and recommended their adoption by Episcopal Conferences worldwide.

Mark Pellicano, Head of Safeguarding, said: "Our priority is to ensure that robust systems are in place to protect minors and vulnerable people from any kind of abuse, while responding appropriately and consistently to every report received. " Founded in 2015 through a joint initiative of the Maltese Episcopal Conference and the Conference of Major Religious Superiors, the Malta Safeguarding Commission has directed its work exclusively toward the Archdiocese of Malta and all religious communities in Malta since March 2022.

The Commission operates under a Safeguarding Policy adopted in 2024. It addresses concerns spanning emotional, spiritual, physical, sexual, online, and power abuse. When cases involve minors, the Commission refers them to statutory authorities; where vulnerable adults are concerned, the Commission works to empower those individuals to report to the relevant authorities themselves.