Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1543912
AT 10pm in the evening of 7 March, while many of us were enjoying our Saturday evening, a little 10-year-old girl ran out on the Coast Road, asking people for help. A woman picked her up and took her to the police station where she told them that her fa- ther had "killed" her brother at the White Rocks complex and had tried to strangle her, but she had escaped. The scene which met the po- lice at White rocks sounds like something from a gruesome true crime documentary. But this was no Netflix series. The 12-year-old boy was found unconscious, lying in a pool of blood with grievous head injuries. He was rushed to Mater Dei Hospital and is cur- rently in ITU, still in critical con- dition. The girl has thankfully re- covered from her injuries and has been released from hospital. A manhunt ensued for the fa- ther who had already fled the scene. Initially the police only found his mobile which con- tained messages indicating that he might end his life. The father was eventually found three days later in the Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq area and arrested. Testifying in court, the police said the man appeared to have attempted suicide, allegedly try- ing to strangle himself. He had jumped onto the rocks, but in- stead fell into the sea, where waves smashed him against the rocks, and he sustained several injuries including four to five bro- ken ribs. It is believed that the man, an Italian national who is estranged from his wife and who has been living in Malta for 15 years, had the children with him because it was "his" day to see them. On taking the children to the White Rocks site he became violent. Investigators also contacted the children's mother, who had ear- lier received a call from her hus- band. During the conversation, he reportedly told her in Italian, "Take the daughter; the son is in heaven." The case is now in court where the man has been charged with attempted murder, but details of what might have led to this bru- tal attack are still unclear. So far, what has emerged does not seem to have foreshadowed the horrific events of that Saturday night. A police spokesperson said the police received reports of har- assment from both parties in February, when they filed reports against each other concerning their personal relationship. These reports did not indicate domestic violence, either between them or involving the children, nor any signs of abuse towards the chil- dren. The man's friends and fam- ily have expressed shock at the developments, saying he "always spoke lovingly of his kids" and had tattooed their names on his arms. They said they would have "never expected" him to carry out the alleged crimes. These types of cases, where chil- dren are almost killed (or actually killed) at the hands of their own parents, are thankfully rare in Malta and, in fact, we often con- sole ourselves that these things only happen "abroad". In other countries, sadly, they are much more common especially where the parents are separated and the husband or the wife want to get back at their spouse by attacking the children. Let me make it clear that I'm not saying that is what happened here, because the mo- tive is not yet conclusive and I will certainly not entertain any con- jectures and suppositions in such a delicate matter at this stage. Justice must take its course. What was rather odd though was the court's decision to issue a ban on the publication of the fa- ther's name and his photo when we had been seeing it splashed all over social media from the time the man fled the scene until he was found. As a wanted man who had just committed a violent crime, it was imperative for his name and photo to be out there so that the police could trace his whereabouts. I realise that the idea is to protect the identity of the children as well as the wife, but by then that ship had already sailed. Malta's small size means everyone had already connected the dots and knew who they were. Another puzzling piece is the juxtaposition between the way the man was described by those who knew him, the lack of pre- vious violent behaviour and that fateful Saturday night. What happened to make him snap like that? Again, we need to wait for the facts before jumping to any conclusions, but I am sure it must instil fear in the hearts of parents where a separation or divorce has not been amicable. It is a sad re- ality that in most cases, marital breakdowns result in animosity and even downright hatred with the poor kids being ping-ponged between the two parents who cannot see beyond their own hurt and wounded pride. Despite being admonished by child psy- chologists that it is in the interest of the children not to see warring parents tear each other apart, to avoid badmouthing each other and to act as civilised as possible, this advice often falls on deaf ears. While everyone who has been through it will agree that it is ex- tremely difficult to remain calm and reasonable when a marriage breaks down because raw emo- tions get in the way, where chil- dren are involved, it is not only necessary but absolutely crucial. That often means swallowing one's pride and not using kids as a weapon against the other side. It sounds good on paper but out there in the real world we are all keenly aware how many times parents resort to doing everything they can to punish their spouse by whatever means possible, even if it means their own children are being psychologically damaged. Meanwhile, it was reported that during his police interrogation, the man said he wanted to coop- erate and directed the police to a notebook in a caravan where he had been hiding. Police found a note detailing what he had done to his son, expressing remorse for his actions and saying he want- ed to end his life after he thought his son was dead. The father has pleaded not guilty to the charges of attempted murder. 3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 15 MARCH 2026 OPINION Josanne Cassar She has worked in the field of communications and journalism for the last 30 years What kind of father tries to kill his own children? The accused man arriving in court to face charges of attempted murder of his own two children (Photo: Juliana Zammit/MaltaToday) While everyone who has been through it will agree that it is extremely difficult to remain calm and reasonable when a marriage breaks down because raw emotions get in the way, where children are involved, it is not only necessary but absolutely crucial