The Nationalist Party (PN) on Wednesday reiterated its call for an independent inquiry to be set up to look into all the circumstances and facts which led to the murder of Nicolette Ghirxi earlier this month.
PN MPs Paula Mifsud Bonnici and Graziella Attard Previ delivered a press conference where they said that the Board of Inquiry under the Inquiries Act appointed by Social Policy Minister Michael Falzon on Tuesday will only look into the social services provided to Ghirxi by the Ministry.
Similarly, the separate independent police complaints board, which has been set up to deal with the case, will also only look into matters related to the police, the PN MPs said.
Ghirxi was found murdered in her Swatar apartment on August 12th, allegedly having been stabbed to death by her ex-partner, 50-year-old Irishman Edward Johnston. Johnston was later killed in a standoff with the police in St Julian's as he pointed a replica firearm at officers.
Her family, through their lawyer Joseph Borda, is insisting on launching an independent inquiry which should be set up by the Prime Minister. The family said they were not consulted over the decision by the Social Policy Ministry to launch its inquiry.
Mifsud Bonnici said that if government has nothing to hide, it would launch an independent inquiry without any further delay.
"We need one whole independent inquiry which can investigate the whole truth on what happened, and what led to us now, unfortunately, speaking about another femicide," she said.
Mifsud Bonnici said that despite several declarations and versions of events being issued by many entities, there are still many things which are not clear enough.
She said that despite an ongoing magisterial inquiry and minimal details being shared about the facts and circumstances due to the same ongoing inquiry, Ghirxi's personal documents were published by the social services, something which could deter victims of domestic violence to build up the courage and make a report.
Mifsud Bonnici said that it was the PN which requested that the parliamentary committees for social life and the family discuss what can be done to truly ensure that no other death of a woman who is victim of domestic violence occurs.
She said that the PN is making its questions on the committees, to be able to determine what more needs to be done, and what systems need to be changed for a more innovative, efficient system which ensures no more murders.
Attard Previ said that the case angered the public, and the anger has increased after authorities' decisions on the case were revealed.
"The Labour government boasts that it is a government that listens and consults, but it is clear that these two important concepts in politics are being thrown out by the same government," Attard Previ said.
She continued that government did not feel that it needed to consult with Ghirxi's family, before the Social Policy Minister announced a Board of Inquiry, which will be chaired by Judge Emeritus Lawrence Quintano. Attard Previ quoted the terms and references of the Board, which will be limited to the operations of the services offered by the Ministry. Similarly, the police complaints board will only be focused on the polices' operations in the case.
"We join Ghirxi's family in calling for an independent inquiry. Only an independent inquiry can analyse everything and is not limited to social services and the police," Attard Previ said.
Attard Previ listed the reasons for an independent inquiry, which she said is not subject to any pressure from any entity.
She said that the independent inquiry's interest is to seek out the whole truth, and analyse the actions of everyone involved, including the Police Commissioner, the laws in place, and the services which were provided. An independent inquiry would determine if the State fulfilled its obligations in protecting the life of a domestic violence victim.
Attard Previ underlined the importance of the independent inquiry as, since the murder, the authorities have issued various different versions, after it came out that Ghirxi was "guided" into not conducting a risk assessment for her situation.
She raised questions that the Foundation for Social Welfare Services decided to publish a sensitive document without the family's consent, questioning professional ethics.
Attard Previ said that an independent inquiry would find out the truth, and everyone will have the opportunity to give their statement in a dignified way.
She also pointed out that it was worrying that after the murder, there were a large number of cases which were reported, including ones where women were forced into prostitution, as well as those which were trafficked.
"Malta is not doing all it can to offer a secure environment for women, especially when it comes to prostitution and trafficking," Attard Previ said.
Answering a media question, Mifsud Bonnici also said that not all recommendations made by Geoffrey Valencia's inquiry into Bernice Cilia's murder were implemented, one of which was that the risk assessment should not be conducted only once, but each time a report was made.
Government responds
In response, the Ministry for Social Policy said that "it is truly a shame that the PN continues to choose to turn a tragic case into a political football. This shows total insensitivity towards all those who in some way is involved in cases like this."
"The ministry wishes to remind that there are two inquiries appointed on the case of Nicole Ghirxi, an independent inquiry led by Judge Lawrence Quintano, and also that by the independent Police Complaints Board. It is also worth mentioning that there is a meeting scheduled between the government and the Ghirxi family."