Caruana Galizia Family Condemns Fenech Acquittal at Council of Europe Hearing
· Updated
In brief
- Daphne Caruana Galizia's family addressed a Council of Europe parliamentary hearing in Paris following Yorgen Fenech's acquittal.
- Corinne Vella warned that the verdict entrenched a culture of impunity and denounced targeted disinformation against her relatives.
- Matthew Caruana Galizia urged comprehensive reforms to Malta's justice system to address institutional shortcomings.
The family of murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia delivered testimonies before the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Paris on Wednesday, sharply criticising the outcome of the trial that saw businessman Yorgen Fenech acquitted. The hearing formed part of preparations for an upcoming report on Malta by Council rapporteur Baroness Shami Chakrabarti.
Addressing the assembly, Daphne Caruana Galizia's sister, Corinne Vella, stated that the verdict had further deepened a prevailing culture of impunity in the country. She told delegates that the judicial conclusion dealt a severe blow to public trust and accountability.
Vella also confronted what she described as an orchestrated disinformation campaign aimed directly at the Caruana Galizia family in the wake of the trial. She stressed that misleading narratives were being actively circulated to distort the facts of the case and discredit those seeking justice.
The journalist's son, Matthew Caruana Galizia, focused his address on structural failures within Malta's criminal justice system. He expressed profound disappointment that the lengthy legal proceedings had concluded without holding the alleged mastermind accountable.
"We had hoped that a conviction would deliver accountability and begin restoring confidence in the institutions," he told European parliamentarians, arguing that the outcome demonstrated the urgent necessity of legal and institutional reform.
Discussions at the hearing also turned to the administration of Malta's jury system, which has faced intense public scrutiny following the verdict. Assembly members examined whether existing judicial procedures provide adequate safeguards in high-profile corruption and murder trials.
Baroness Chakrabarti's report is expected to assess ongoing rule of law concerns in Malta, specifically focusing on media freedom, the protection of journalists, and the state's capacity to prosecute complex crimes involving prominent political and business figures.
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