Nationalist MP Claudette Buttigieg broke down in tears in parliament when speaking about Karl Gouder and Jan Pace, stating “we aren’t doing enough” to tackle mental health.
Karl Gouder was found dead in September 2024 at just 45 years of age, while Jan Pace, a 36-year-old hairdresser, was found dead a few weeks ago. Both men took their own lives.
In parliament, Buttigieg was speaking about mental health when she mentioned the pair, having worked with Gouder in the PN, while Pace was invited to one of her TV programmes when he was a child.
“Both of them had many people who loved them,” she said tearfully. Buttigieg voiced her frustration at the fact that after such deaths, many shed a tear for them at their funerals, but no true change takes place.
She turned her attention to the effects drugs and alcohol have on mental health, speaking about a rise in drug use during parties.
Buttigieg narrowed her focus on the negative effects of “the cycle” of gay men exposing themselves to risks during chemsex parties. “Let’s pull our heads out of the sand and take a look at what’s going on in this country.”
The MP ended her appeal in tears, explaining that almost a year has passed since Karl Gouder’s death, “and I feel that we aren’t doing enough.”
Anyone struggling with mental health problems can seek help through a variety of resources here.