Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1525930
2 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 28 AUGUST 2024 2 NICOLE MEILAK nmeilak@mediatoday.com.mt MATTHEW FARRUGIA mfarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt A man has died after a head-on traffic accident in Imdina Road, Ħaż-Żebbuġ. Police said that the accident occurred at around 10:00am, as the victim got stuck in the cab- in of his vehicle after a collision with a larger truck. The victim has been identified as a 40-year-old Indian man who lived in Ħamrun, as the other truck was being driven by a 61-year-old Tarxien resident. The site was soon closed to traffic, as Civil Protection De- partment workers arrived to as- sist the victim. A medical team gave the man CPR on-site, as Transport Malta officials were also present. Both lanes remained closed until all evidence on site was preserved. Magistrate Joe Mifsud has launched an inquiry into the ac- cident. Police investigations are still ongoing. This traffic accident comes just one day after nine collisions took place on the Marsa-Ħam- run bypass that were the source of prolongued traffic on Mon- day morning. Man dies in head- on collision with truck in Zebbug Police said that the accident occurred at around 10:00am, as the victim got stuck in the cabin of his vehicle after a collision with a larger truck THE Foundation for Social Wel- fare Services (FSWS) has released affidavits from its professionals, to back up previous statements that, at no point, did its employees dis- courage Nicolette Ghirxi from un- dergoing a risk assessment. Ghirxi was killed by her ex-part- ner Edward Johnston in her Birkir- kara flat, her body found in the early hours of Monday 12 August. The FSWS's move comes in re- sponse to allegations made by cer- tain individuals who spoke with The Sunday Times of Malta, sug- gesting otherwise. The FSWS also published the rel- evant form completed by Ghirxi, in which she confirmed in writing her decision not to proceed with the risk assessment. The FSWS emphasised that this was the only instance of contact its employees had with Ghirxi. Her murder sparked widespread debate on whether the police force has the necessary means to pre- vent femicides and other forms of gender-based violence. The FSWS pointed out that it provided statistics to The Sunday Times, as requested by the medi- ahouse, on the number of people who choose not to undergo a risk assessment. According to the FSWS, be- tween January and June 2023, 607 reports of domestic violence were filed. In the same period in 2024, reports surged to 1,138, with the number of individuals agreeing to undergo risk assessments rising from 562 in the first half of 2023 to 770 in the first half of 2024—a 37% increase. Additionally, in the first six months of 2024, 368 individuals, representing 32.34% of total re- ports, chose not to proceed with a risk assessment. The FSWS said it is willing to cooperate with any inquiries or in- vestigations into its work, both in this specific case and more gener- ally. The foundation expressed full confidence in the capabilities and professionalism of its employees, as well as their unwavering ded- ication to supporting victims of domestic violence. FSWS releases professional affidavits regarding Ghirxi case Government launches inquiry board into Nicolette Ghirxi case Murder victim Nicolette Ghirxi THE social policy ministry has established an In- quiry Board under the Inquiries Act to investigate and examine all facts and circumstances related to the case of Nicolette Ghirxi. The Inquiry Board will be chaired by retired Judge Lawrence Quintano. The Board has been tasked with determining the facts and circumstances regarding the pro- fessional assistance provided to Ghirxi when- ever she sought help or was referred for such assistance by social services for domestic vio- lence. This includes an examination of the risk as- sessment procedures followed. Additionally, the Board will make recommen- dations on whether further measures are neces- sary in the operation of social services provided to victims of domestic violence. This inquiry will be conducted in conjunc- tion with the ongoing investigation by the In- dependent Police Complaints Board, which is analysing the circumstances surrounding the murder of Nicolette Ghirxi, which happened on Monday 12 August. The Board has been given a four-month peri- od to submit its report. The ministry said it will make the inquiry report public. Ghirxi was killed by her ex-partner Edward Johnston in her Birkirkara flat, her body found in the early hours of Monday 12 August. Her murder sparked widespread debate on whether the police force has the necessary means to prevent femicides and other forms of gender-based violence. The government has launched an inquiry into the case of Nicolette Ghirxi, focusing on the support she received from social services prior to her death