The head of the Maltese Church’s Safeguarding Commission, Mark Pellicano, has underscored the critical need to protect young people from online risks, as the commission prepares to mark its 10th anniversary with a conference later this month.

In an interview with Newsbook Malta, Pellicano outlined the dual focus of the upcoming conference, scheduled for 13 November at the ĊAK Centre in Birkirkara. “We must look at children and young people facing certain risks that exist online,” Pellicano said, highlighting the vulnerabilities that can accompany internet use. “As much as it can be used well, it can place vulnerable people in situations of abuse.”

The conference aims to unite all entities working in the safeguarding field. Pellicano explained that its goals are to discuss preventative actions and to establish a clear, healthy framework so that “if a person unfortunately undergoes any form of abuse, they know what they must do.”

The event will feature speakers from key national institutions, including the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations, the Victim Support Unit, the Secretariat for Catholic Education, and the state’s Directorate for the Protection of Minors, signalling a collaborative approach to child protection.

The conference comes on the decade-old milestone of the Safeguarding Commission, which was established in 2015 to replace the earlier ‘Response Team’. Its work recently received significant international endorsement.

In October, the Vatican’s Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (Tutela Minorum) praised the Maltese commission’s guidelines as “exemplary” and recommended that bishops’ conferences worldwide adopt similar standards.

Archbishop Charles Scicluna, in a filmed message, encouraged attendance at the conference, noting that “society is becoming more dangerous because of the influence of the internet and people who do not have good intentions.”

He described the event as a moment of dialogue to build a society that truly welcomes and protects children and youth.

Source: Newsbook.com.mt

Article written by Gabriel Lia