Tributes poured in on social media by friends and co-workers for late Sunday’s murder victim 48-year-old Nicolette Ghirxi, who was allegedly killed by her former partner in her own apartment in Swatar, Birkirkara.
Messages of shock flooded Facebook as one of her ex-co-workers described Ghirxi as a “beautiful person, inside and out.”
She said that Ghirxi was one of the best managers she had ever had, describing her as strict, but kind and approachable.
“A strong woman with a great character,” her co-worker wrote. She also said that Ghirxi was a woman who would not have put up with being treated badly, and that “if it happened to her, it could happen to any woman.”
Another friend said he could not believe the shocking news, describing Ghirxi as a great woman who will be missed by many.
Another friend described her as a “truly beautiful person, who always had a radiant smile that could light up any room.”
She said that her childhood friend will be deeply missed, while recalling memories with Ghirxi.
One person said that the police, who are supposed to protect victims of domestic violence, send them away telling them that they cannot do anything.
The group il-Kollettiv also reacted to the news, saying that it is shocked by the news of the femicide of Ghirxi.
“We fully believe that the Police force is not treating cases of domestic and gender-based violence seriously, so much so that this is not the first femicide where the victim had filed reports to the authorities,” the group said.
It called for an urgent reform of the laws and procedures related to domestic and gender-based violence, which it said are presently working against the victims and not in their favour.
“We refer to the GREVIO report published by the Council of Europe in 2020 (https://tinyurl.com/mrx6e6dr), which highlighted serious shortcomings at every stage of the investigative process, the prosecution, and the protection of victims and their families,” it said.
The group said that the recommendations of this report continue to be ignored, with the result that another life has been lost.
“Similarly to the femicide of Bernice Cilia in 2022, the Police and the authorities were looking the other way and allowed this murder to happen,” the group said.
It said that Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri and Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa are “responsible for our protection.”
The group blamed the two for the “lax and indifferent attitude displayed by many Police officers in the stations every time a citizen files a report.” It said that they are to blame whenever people guilty of such crimes walk free due to technicalities caused by the mistakes of police officers, and they are also to blame for the general indifference shown to victims of domestic violence.
Il-Kollettiv reiterated that this subject can no longer be ignored. It said that reforms are badly needed, and the recommendations of the GREVIO report should be the point of departure.