Criminal Code (Cap. 9)
Criminal Code (Cap. 9), article 208E
208E. (1) Whosoever, with an intent to cause distress, emotional
harm or harm of any nature, takes or discloses a private sexual
photograph or film without the consent of the person or persons
displayed or depicted in such photograph or film shall on
conviction be liable to imprisonment for a term of up to five y ears or
to a fine ( multa) of not less than four thousand euro (€4,000) and not
more than eight thousand euro (€8,000), or to both such
imprisonment and fine.
(2) A person shall not be guilty of an offence under this artic le
if:
(a) he has disclosed the sexual photograph or film where
the sexual photograph or film were taken with the
consent of the person or persons displayed or depicted in
such photograph or film, solely to the person or persons
displayed or depicted in such photograph or film; or
(b) the disclosure was necessary for the purpose of
preventing, detec ting or investigating a crime; or
(c) to the extent that it is reasonably required, the
disclosure is authorised by a court or tribunal in the
course of judici al proceedings:
Provided that where authorisation is so granted by a court
or tribunal, the sexual photograph or film shall, without delay , be
sealed by the registrar or deputy registrar of that court or tr ibunal
and shall only be accessible by t he parties to the suit or to t heir
authorised legal representatives.
(3) When the offence provided fo r in this article is committed
as a means or in the context of blackmail the punishment shall be
increased by one degree.
CRIMINAL CODE [CAP. 9. 111
(4) In this article:
"taking" shall refer to the unauthorised taking of sexual priva te
photos and films, by any means;
"disclosure" shall be construed as also including the publicati on,
distribution, trade, circulation or unauthorised use of private sexual
photographs and films, by any means;
"private" shall refer to any photograph or film which was never
intended for public consumption;
"sexual" shall include the depiction of all or part of a person ’s
exposed genitals or pubic area, or, in the case of females, of the
breasts, or of any content that, when taken as a whole, a reaso nable
person would co nsider to be sexual because of its nature;
"photograph or film" means a m oving or still image or data,
stored by any means, which is capable of conversion into a movi ng
or still image.
Offences against
decency or
morals
committed in
public.
Text read from the consolidated PDF published by Legislation Malta. Tables, figures and marginal notes may be incomplete or out of place: the official PDF is authoritative. General information, not legal, tax or accounting advice.