Isabelle Bonnici, the mother of Jean Paul Sofia, who died when a building under construction collapsed in Kordin last December, has been nominated by Peter Agius for the European Citizen Award 2023 for her fight to implement health and safety standards in the workplace.
First awarded in 2008, the European Citizen Award recognizes projects and initiatives that promote EU values.
The award has been given to various distinguished causes in Maltese society, including Puttinu Cares, Dar tal-Providenza, and The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, amongst others.
“After the loss of her son Jean Paul Sofia, who tragically died in the collapse of the building where he was working, Isabelle Bonnici has worked tirelessly to ensure that what happened to her son does not happen to other workers and residents,” Agius, a PN candidate for the European Parliament elections, said.
“This is a commitment that deserves every ounce of support if we want to change things in our country," Agius said.
Agius said “the award is there to recognize people who fight for our rights as Maltese Europeans in society,” adding “that health and safety in the workplace are fundamental despite the fact that they are not taken seriously enough in our country.”
Bonnici said she “appreciates this nomination and will continue to work to raise awareness of the need for safety in construction.”
"We all need to ensure that there is never another incident like the one that ended the lives of Jean Paul, Miriam Pace, and others," she said.
"After the tragic death of Miriam Pace in her home in Santa Venera, we thought the authorities would ensure that there would never be another incident of this kind but the death of young Jean Paul Sofia shows that we have not yet learned our lesson,” said Agius.
“Therefore, clarity is needed in the form of a serious and independent public inquiry to bring out all the facts, to do justice to Jean Paul Sofia and his family, and to ensure that we implement the necessary changes so that the construction sector does not leave more victims behind like Miriam and Jean Paul," said Agius.