The Office of the Commissioner of Children would like to express its dismay at the recent happening revealed by footage taken and uploaded by BirdLife Malta that shows a minor using a gun in a hunting context. This is in clear breach of the Arms Act which allows minors of a certain age to use arms for target shooting but not for hunting.

Regardless of whether the child seen in the footage is old enough to be held criminally responsible for his actions, these were carried out clearly with the blessing of and without sufficient oversight by the accompanying adult. This renders the child a victim of the adult’s criminal behaviour. Since laws designed to protect children are effective only insofar as those who breach them are duly and expeditiously punished, the Office calls for this and other similar crimes to be prosecuted without delay.

Also of grave concern is the fact that the minor is seen to be in very close range of a misfiring gun that could have seriously injured him. This near miss highlights a lacuna in our laws that do not prohibit children accompanying adults in hunting expeditions. The Office calls on the Parliament of Malta to pass the necessary amendments to the Arms Act to close this dangerous gap in our legislation.

The Office does not have a position or agenda in respect of hunting as this is outside its remit. Its concern lies solely in ensuring there are necessary and sufficient safeguards in place to protect children from physical harm caused by the use of weapons.