Raphael Vassallo
The online broadcasting website YouTube this week cancelled a local user account for violation of terms and conditions, after a local “comedy” group called “Maltaspicuti” posted a series of videos in which a person with physical and mental disabilities was stalked and continually harassed.
The victim of these videos is a well-known character who suffers from a very conspicuous physical disability, and who is often seen at the Valletta bus terminus, or riding the bus.
It is not the first time that Censina, as she is known, has been subjected to verbal abuse and harassment, in a country where physical and mental disability is all too often viewed as fair game for sadistic humour.
But “Maltaspicuti” took this unwholesome trait to a whole new level, by filming the woman’s humiliation and posting the videos online... exposing them to a global audience up until Thursday, when YouTube finally suspended the account.
MaltaToday was alerted to these videos by an irate reader, and made it just in time to view them online before they were removed from the site.
In one video, the “cameraman” sits behind Censina on the bus, and taunts her into saying that her surname is “zibel” (trash). Eventually, the woman breaks down into tears... to the delight of the Maltaspicuti team, which carried on filming despite her visible distress.
This video was posted under the imaginative title “Cenzin tejt li kunjoma zibel” (sic).
In another video, the cameraman follows the victim, who is clearly trying to shake him off, throughout the Valletta bus terminus, until she finally flips and attempts to strike him with her handbag. This elicits howls of laughter from the “comedy” team.
Apart from the evident sadism of those responsible, these videos also reveal a glaring reluctance to intervene on the part of the public at large. Much of this harassment took place in full view of numerous passers-by, and also passengers on the bus... and while many of those caught on film were visibly uncomfortable, none actually attempted to stop the bullying.
Tellingly, in one particular video it had to be a foreign tourist to come to the victim’s defence, admonishing the team and saying: “You should be ashamed of your country.” But again, this only elicited jeers from Censina’s tormentors.
By the time the account was suspended, the videos had attracted an average of 700 hits each. Many of the more objectionable films were given five-star ratings (by a maximum of five users, most likely the Maltaspicuti team itself), and the comments posted below were varied.
Many simply went along with the “humour” with observations such as “LOL” – “Laughing Out Loud”. But these were counterbalanced by a considerable number of comments registering outrage and indignation.
One post read simply: “Haqqkom xebgha” (You deserve a beating).