Drug victims should be helped not criminalised – AD
Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party welcomed the appeal of President George Abela and Caritas for the reconsidering of drug legislation in order that drug uses are helped rather then sent to jail. AD said that this follows similar appeals by the Green Party itself and experts from various spheres including Sedqa.
Angele Deguara, AD Spokesperson for Social Policy, said that “it is encouraging to hear that President George Abela and Caritas have also endorsed the appeal to reconsider our drug laws and to treat people who fall victim to drugs as people who need help and not as criminals. AD believes that in such cases, it would be more beneficial both to the victim as well as to society for these people to be given support and rehabilitated rather than being sent to prison where their drug problem might get worse. We have to make a distinction between drug dealers who are the real criminals and their victims”.
Michael Briguglio, AD Chairperson, said that “it is a known fact that the imprisonment of drug victims is only aggravating problems for themselves and their loved ones. Unfortunately both the Nationalist and Labour Parties prefer resorting to populist rhetoric and cheap scaremongering, rather than calling a spade a spade and proposing constructive measures to avoid the criminalisation of drug victims”.
Vittmi tad-droga ghandhom jigu mghejuna, mhux kriminalizzati – AD
L-Alternattiva Demokratika tat merhba lill-appell tal-President George Abela u tal-Caritas ghar-rikonsiderazzjoni tal-legislazzjoni tad-droga, sabiex vittmi tad-droga jinghataw l-ghinuna u mhux jintbaghtu l-habs. L-AD qalet li dan il-pass sehh wara appelli simili mill-Partit tal-Hodor innifsu, kif ukoll minn esperti minn bosta sferi, inkluz is-Sedqa.
Angele Deguara, kelliema ta’ l-AD ghall-Politika Socjali, qalet li “huwa inkoragganti tisma’ li l-President George Abela u l-Caritas jappoggjaw l-appell sabiex tigi rikunsidrata l-ligi dwar id-drogi, u biex vittmi ta’ dawn id-drogi ma jibqghux jigu trattati bhala kriminali, izda bhala nies li jehtiegu l-ghinuna. L-AD temmen li f’dawn il-kazijiet, ikun ta’ hafna aktar beneficcju, kemm ghall-vittma kif ukoll ghas-soccjeta`, jekk dawn in-nies jinghataw l-appogg u jigu riabiltati, minflok ma jintbaghtu l-habs fej il-problema tad-droga taf tmur ghall-aghar. Irridu naghmlu distinzjoni bejn il-bejjiegha tad-drogi – li huma l-kriminali vera – u l-vittmi.”
Michael Briguglio, Chairperson ta’ l-AD, qal li “huwa fatt maghruf li meta vittma tad-droga jmur il-habs, il-problema tmur ghall-aghar kemm ghall-vittma nnifsu, kif ukoll ghall-familjari tieghu. Sfortunatament, kemm il-Partit Nazzjonalista kif ukoll il-Partit Laburista jippreferu jirrekorru ghar-retorika populista, minflok ma jirrakonoxxu l-affarijiet kif inhuma, u jipproponu mizuri kostruttivi sabiex tigi evitata l-kriminalizzazzjoni tal-vittmi tad-droga.”
