Public support on social media has flowed in for Moira Vassallo, who had spoken out and described several court and police failures in the case of her husband’s death.

Moira Vassallo’s husband, Mark, died five days after the motorcycle he was riding in slow moving traffic in Pieta towards Valletta, on 22 August 2018, was hit from behind by a car being driven by a young man. 

The magisterial inquiry into the case recommended that the young man, who had been driving behind Mark, should be charged with involuntarily causing his death through negligent driving. But due to a series of mistakes, the accused “was acquitted as if he killed a fly” in May 2022, Moira said. Among other things, she had said that the police chargesheet which listed details about the accident were filled in incorrectly. The model of the car was listed as a Volkswagen, when in fact, it was a Peugeot for instance. 

A story carried by The Malta Independent on Sunday, five years after Mark Vassallo died in a motorcycle accident, saw his widow describe the family’s hardships and the situation which led to the court absolving the person who hit Mark with his car from charges of involuntarily causing his death through negligent driving. Her wish is for people to not go through the “huge injustice” that her family went through. “Will there be more cases handled like this? If mistakes are made, somebody should take responsibility. That is what I want, that they come to me, tell me that they took action and made sure that these failures won’t happen again,” Moira said. 

Comments of support flowed in for Moira on Facebook, encouraging her to keep fighting for justice. Many expressed anger towards authorities for having failed to take responsibility, after four mistakes were made in the police chargesheet.

Isabelle Bonnici, the mother of Jean Paul Sofia, also addressed Moira on Facebook, encouraging her to keep on fighting, and to not give up. Sofia died after a construction site collapsed in Kordin last December.

“We need to stand up to be counted and fight with all our might the bullies. Our courage to fight for our rights gives strength to others to change this culture of injustice in this blessed country.”

“I’m with you all the way. Our loved ones deserve JUSTICE and WE are their only hope,” Bonnici wrote, telling her to have courage.

Many comments called for accountability, showing frustration at the failures of the justice system, which does not seem to be protecting the victim. 

Several also wondered why the police did not take disciplinary action against the police officer who made the mistakes on the chargesheet. Some expressed anger at the fact that the case took five years to close, dubbing the delay as a “legal train wreck.”

Some dubbed the legal system as ‘Mafia’ in the comments. Some speculated that it seemed that authorities set out to protect the perpetrator, rather than the victim and his family.

Many also said that the case merits a public inquiry, which would investigate administrative failures. NGO Repubblika President Robert Aquilina shared the story on his Facebook page, where he said that justice is a fundamental right for each person, and that five years later, Moira remains without justice.

“They told her that there were mistakes made in the prosecution, and therefore nothing can be done. Nobody shouldered responsibility,” he said.

“This is not an isolated case. This has become a habit,” Aquilina wrote. He added that this is unacceptable in a civilized country and expressed solidarity to Moira and the rest of Mark’s family. Contacted by this newsroom, Moira said that she wishes for a change in the justice system, as in her husband’s case, nothing else can be done due to the series of failures. 

She acknowledged that it was an accident, but said the accused had benefited from the mistakes made.

“I don’t want for there to be more mistakes made, especially intentional mistakes,” Moira said, calling for a change in the system for future victims.

She said that there should be a lawyer who represents victims’ families who have gone through injustices due to the system, who would not subject families to fork out more money in their fight for justice.

Among those who commented was also the mother of Johanna Boni, a motorcyclist who lost her life in an accident in Naxxar in 2016. 

The truck driver involved was cleared of criminal negligence in causing Boni’s death in March of this year, with the court ruling that a miscalculated manoeuvre by the motorcyclist when she tried to overtake the heavy vehicle had contributed to the fatal impact.

While the driver was cleared on criminal charges, the court still found that he had failed to keep a proper lookout through his mirrors, only realising what happened when people began honking their horns at him.

Boni’s mother, Josephine, had reacted to the court decision, saying that her daughter was killed, and that the court’s verdict was “given on lies.” 

“The tragedy is already a tsunami, but fighting in court is terrible, especially when you see people lying, after having kissed the cross,” she said. 

“If we all talk, maybe something on this island can change,” Boni’s mother added.