"The boundaries between professional adults working with children and young people are unclear. There is a need to establish a red line, and ensure both parties are well aware of what is ethical and what's not." Winston J Zahra explained why his family felt the need to launch the Lisa Maria foundation, and address shortcomings in educational institutions. Earlier this year, Mr Zahra and his family suffered a terrible loss, after Lisa Maria, 15, was found dead at the bottom of Dingli Cliffs. Erin Tanti, a 23-year-old teacher, who worked at the school Lisa Marie attended, stands accused of murdering and assisting the teenager in suicide.

"When parents send their children to any educational institution, the least they expect is peace of mind. I have three children of my own, and I expect that while they are school, they are being duly protected. But the reality is there are flaws in the system, and the foundation's aim is addressing those shortcomings. We need to clarify certain boundaries. There are two parties involved, and the wrong step can be taken by both the educator and the student."

Social media

"Should a teacher befriend his/her students on Facebook? What should the teacher be posting on social media?" Mr Zahra asks.  "Neither myself, nor the foundation will be answering to that, but somehow the issue needs to be addressed."

Mr Zahra questioned whether the recruitment process in institutions is watertight enough. "Is it enough for an educator to provide the required certifications, or should there be a thorough profiling of the person in question?" The foundation has already started discussions with the Ministry of Education, and Malta Union of Teachers, to pin point such deficiencies. "This is not only helpful for parents and students, but educators themselves. If the system is more robust, then genuine educators, which are the majority, should feel more satisfied with their position. They should not feel intimidated, if they have nothing to hide."

Following the incident, the family of Lisa Maria received several messages of compassion, however others expressed concern about such professional boundaries.   "There's been major speculation on the case, and as a family we have made the decision not to comment about it. However, it has triggered a lot of comments. We've received several messages on a personal basis, and what is evident is that there was the need for such a foundation. It's a pity that such a tragedy had to happen before action is taken, but we need to make the best out of the situation now."

Launching the foundation

Deciding to go ahead with the foundation was extremely difficult for the family. "The easiest option is to go on being angry, and negative, but after a lot of reflection, as a family we decided it is more appropriate, for Lisa Maria, to create something positive. Something that will be of help to someone, someday," he says.

The foundation also aims at raising awareness about the safe use of social media. Reports had revealed how Lisa Maria was tormented on social media site Ask.FM, a site which received scrutiny internationally, after a spate of suicides by teenagers.

"Social media today has vastly changed social interactions; it created the need to be constantly connected. I do not rule out the fact that it has created certain benefits, for example, for marketing or campaigning purposes. Young people always craved the need of learning something new; however they need to be aware of the dangers." Making reference to social media sites like Tumblr and Ask Fm, Mr Zahra said that he was unaware of such sites up till recently. "It is the user who decides what content is uploaded, however parents need to be well aware of how such sites work, and what the risks are."

The court case

Asked whether the launch of the foundation could somehow influence the court case, Mr Zahra said that the court is an independent institution, and nothing and no one should be influencing the judiciary. "Proceedings could last three or four years, so there was no point in waiting. The launch of the foundation has nothing whatsoever to do with the court case. The family made it clear that it won't be commenting on the case. Mr Zahra said no timing for the launch was involved, except the start of the scholastic year.

On the website, those interested in contributing financially to the organisation are provided with a bank account number. However, Mr Zahra stressed that the main aim of the foundation is not raising money, and this was only done as a means for those who had expressed the wish to help out financially.