Nationalist MP Claudette Buttigieg slammed European Commissioner Helena Dalli for describing the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia as a "femicide".

Speaking during her Parliamentary adjournment speech, Buttigieg explained that during Dalli's MEP grilling, Dalli constantly described Caruana Galizia's murder as "femicide" and was shocked at the ex-Equality Minister's comments.

Buttigieg read out the definition of femicide, which is the killing of a woman or girl, on account of her gender. "This is not what happened to Daphne Caruana Galizia, she was assassinated because of her work. How is it that someone in such a high position can call that assassination femicide?"

She said that she could not understand how certain people have different definitions of what is happening in their own country.

She added that Dali's comment hurt a lot of people, not just the Caruana Galizia family, but other women who have lost family members to femicide. "When we had a demonstration against femicide in Malta, not one banner or placard carried a message stating that Daphne Caruana Galiza was killed in this manner."