Friends of Ruth Attard, the 27-year-old woman who was found dead at Ghar Lapsi on Sunday, are still coming to terms with the fact that their friend is forever gone.

“When the news broke that the body was hers, I kept trying to deny it. I remember walking out of church and bursting into tears. I’m still hoping all of this is a nightmare; I wake up in the middle of the night and think of her,” newscaster Clarissa Ellul told The Malta Independent.

On Saturday 6 June, the police issued a statement that they were looking for a 27-year-old woman who went missing.  Ruth’s body was discovered at Ghar Lapsi on Sunday morning.

(Happier times - Clarissa and Ruth in 2007)

“Ruth loved telling jokes – she was carefree, she held no evil, no jealousy for anyone. She always insisted that I should never give up and she assisted me through some of the most difficult periods of my life. I feel extremely lucky to have met Ruth – it is not easy to find someone like her nowadays. She was brilliant company and a caring and clever friend. She was the kind of person that got along with anyone, and for that, everyone sought her company.”

Clarissa first met Ruth seven years ago, during training for English Language School EF.  They later led the same group of Spanish students.

Ruth always went a step further to help the students - she used to accompany them to the doctor’s or the exchange bureaus, and it’s not the first time she missed out on a night out with friends to check up on her students. She was extremely dedicated to her job, and all the students adored her, Clarissa says.

The two friends travelled together to Barcelona, Spain and it was the first trip both of them took with friends for the first time. “The bond created that trip is precious, it was one trip that could never be forgotten. We had bought the same top in Barcelona, and a couple of weeks ago I was cleaning out my closet, but decided to keep it as a memory of the trip.

“From that trip onwards, we always confided in each other. Ruth was always ready to make time for you – she never made excuses.”  Ruth started reading Sociology at the University Of Malta, and the two women continued to meet up during their free time.

The funeral was overwhelmingly well attended by a number of young people who crossed Ruth’s path across the years. A number of former EF employees and university students met at Ruth’s funeral.

“On Saturday I was at a wedding when I heard the news about Ruth – but I had hoped she would return soon. But when I heard that they found belongings, I started getting concerned – but somehow I always believed Ruth could handle anything. We started calling her and trying to gather more information.  I had seen her as I was driving along two days early and waved at her – now I strongly regret not having stopped to talk to her that day. When I heard the news that they found a body, I hoped and hoped that it would not be her.

“I keep revisiting moments we shared, conversations we had. I did not want to see her in the mortuary – because I wanted to hold on to the positive memories I have of her. My only hope is that she is at peace now.”

A few years ago, Ruth moved to the Netherlands to work but she visited Malta often. Ruth is survived by her two brothers.  A couple of her friends will be lighting up candles at Ghar Lapsi, the last place Ruth visited.

 

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