The country’s main political leaders on Thursday commemorated the 46th anniversary since Karin Grech was killed.

Karin Grech, the daughter of Professor Edwin Grech, then head of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at St. Luke's Hospital, was killed by a letter bomb which was addressed to her father in 1977.

She was 15 years old at the time. At her funeral Mass, the then Archbishop Mikiel Gonzi called her murder "the first terrorist act in the country."  The case remains unsolved.

In comments on social media, Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech – who is Karin Grech’s cousin – noted how the unsolved murder remains a black mark on the country’s history and an ugly day for the Grech family.

“Today, Uncle Edwin knows who killed his daughter not because the case was solved but because he has left this world. Justice on this land has not been done yet,” the PN leader wrote.

He said that it remains his duty to renew the appeal to the Police so that despite the fact that plenty of time has passed, they do everything possible to solve this murder and others.

Prime Minister Robert Abela together with the administration of the Labour Party meanwhile commemorated the same anniversary at the monument to Karin Grech in San Gwann.

The Prime Minister said that Karin Grech and her family were “victims of a political killing which was the fruit of hate,” adding that despite the fact that almost half a century has passed, the episode must continue to be remembered and the values of love and respect must continue to be maintained.

“Before the injustice which was done to Karin Grech, we must be strong and send a strong message that nobody can escape justice,” Abela said as he reiterated that the principle of peace which the country is promoting globally must be sustained locally, as everyone benefits from peace.

ADPD – The Green Party also commemorated the anniversary, as a Green Party delegation consisting of Sandra Gauci, Ralph Cassar and Mario Mallia, placed flowers on the monument to Karin Grech in San Ġwann.

ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci said that we need to continue to reflect on this and other events because as a country we need to remember the consequences of political violence and what leads to it. “This sad occasion should spur all of us to continue working in favour of the rule of law and remind us of the need for continued dialogue, particularly where there is a clash of ideas”.

Sandra Gauci said that this country still needs to work hard to build strong institutions to nip corruption and abuse of power in the bud. The recent Auditor General’s report documents the lax attitude to good governance prevalent in goverment. Tribalism is a disease which must be cured as soon as possible. It has brought about deep divisions and led to a number of violent incidents. In addition it has strengthened nepotism and clientelism.

This bloody episode together with other episodes commemorated during the past year – the assassinations of Raymond Caruna and of Daphne Caruna Galizia in particular, in our country’s history belongs to the whole country. “We need clear messages that our country is against violence, irrespective to who the victims are”, concluded Gauci.