LSA acquitted of sex abuse seeks five years back salary

The Gozitan learning support assistant who was last week cleared of sexual abuse charges – after a five-year court case – has filed a claim for the income she lost while she was suspended from her job. Sources said the claim was made on her behalf by the Malta Union of Teachers, which stood by Karen Mercieca’s side from the outset. MUT president Kevin Bonello said when contacted that the union had written to the Education Ministry asking for Ms Mercieca to be given whatever she was due while she was suspended from duty, as well as her job back. “Yes of course we filed a claim for compensation. We want her to be given all the salaries, allowances and bonuses she lost while she was suspended. But most of all we asked for her immediate reinstatement now that she was acquitted from the charges, which was confirmed on appeal,” he told The Sunday Times of Malta. This newspaper reported last week how the learning support assistant from Qala had lived through a “living nightmare” during the five years she was fending off sexual abuse allegations. Ms Mercieca, 38, was cleared of having defiled an 11-year-old girl with a learning disability at the Għajnsielem Primary School in November...