Leaked Juror Messages Raise Fresh Questions Over Yorgen Fenech Verdict
In brief
- Police uncovered WhatsApp messages sent by a juror following the acquittal of Yorgen Fenech.
- In one message, a juror allegedly claimed that Daphne Caruana Galizia's own children did not mourn her.
- Investigators also found that two other jurors had previously posted hostile commentary about the journalist online.
Fresh scrutiny has emerged surrounding the trial of Yorgen Fenech after police uncovered private messages exchanged among jurors following the verdict. Fenech was recently acquitted of complicity in the 2017 assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, a verdict that had already triggered intense public debate across Malta.
The recovered communications, extracted from mobile devices by investigators, have raised serious concerns regarding potential bias within the jury panel. According to the findings, one of the jurors who voted to acquit Fenech sent inflammatory messages in a private WhatsApp group shortly after the conclusion of the proceedings.
Among the statements shared in the group, the juror allegedly wrote that not even the slain journalist's children mourned her death. The disclosure has prompted questions about the impartiality of the deliberations and whether personal animosity influenced the ultimate outcome of the high-profile trial.
Investigators also reviewed historical social media activity linked to members of the jury. Their inquiries revealed that two other jurors had previously published hostile public commentary about Caruana Galizia prior to being selected to serve on the panel.
The jury selection process in Malta relies on vetting procedures designed to eliminate individuals with evident prejudices or conflicts of interest. The revelation of prior hostile statements has intensified scrutiny on how effectively those screening mechanisms operated before the panel was formally empanelled.
Legal observers note that juror deliberations are strictly protected under Maltese law, making any formal challenge to an acquittal extraordinarily complex. However, evidence demonstrating pre-existing hostility or juror misconduct could open unusual avenues for legal examination by prosecutors and state authorities.
The assassination of Caruana Galizia in October 2017 remains one of the most consequential events in modern Maltese history. The emergence of the messages has renewed distress for her family and drawn calls from civil society groups for a thorough review of jury protections in politically sensitive cases.
The Spin Room
Low media divide. Both independent outlets reported the leaked juror messages consistently, highlighting concerns over potential bias in the verdict.