Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1547166
EIGHT breaches have been de- tected since electronic tagging was introduced in January 2026, a spokesperson for the Home Af- fairs Ministry told MaltaToday. A total of 18 people were elec- tronically tagged since the system became operational in January. Currently, 11 electronic tags are active, four of which are being used by inmates on prison leave from the Corradino Correctional Facility. The other seven are sub- ject to court orders. What's the backstory? Following its parliamentary ap- proval in July 2025, Malta's Elec- tronic Monitoring Act came into force about six months later, on 19 January 2026. By the following April, two people convicted of theft were ordered to be electronically mon- itored as part of their bail condi- tions pending an appeal. This was reported as a first for Malta under the new system. But the history behind electron- ic tagging in Malta goes back to 2019, when government launched an early pilot scheme in which low-risk Corradino prisoners were electronically tagged and permitted to spend Christmas Day with their families. The murder of Bernice Cassar Three years passed before its first reading in parliament in Oc- tober 2022, but the ability for gov- ernment to take its time quickly came under pressure after the murder of Bernice Cassar. She was shot dead behind MCAST on the morning on 22 November that year. The 40-year-old mother of two was on her way to work in the Corradino Industrial Estate. Cassar was unaware, however, that her estranged husband, Rod- erick Cassar, had been waiting in his car for about seven minutes to intercept her. And he did. When she arrived in her white Nissan, he approached the vehicle and smashed her car window. He dragged her out of the vehicle by her hair, arms, and waist. Roderick Cassar shot his wife at close range, once in the chest and then in the face. He fled the scene. The story of Bernice Cassar's murder did not end there since, to many, the woman's brutal death exposed why electronic was need- ed and consequently intensified calls for its implementation. And that's because the story didn't start here either. Bernice had repeatedly report- ed her estranged husband and eventual murderer to the police. The court had even issued a pro- tection order against him, but he breached it over and over again. On 21 November 222, just a day before the murder, she had filed another report. In February 2023, an inquiry led by retired Judge Geoffrey Valenzia concluded that the domestic vio- lence protection system had failed her. And, among its recommen- dations, was the introduction of electronic tagging. And so, that same month, gov- ernment issued a tender for de- signing and building an electronic monitoring system for the Cor- rectional Services Agency. How does it work? In Malta, electronic tagging is administered by LESA and ex- tends beyond convicted offenders and into certain protection orders, including those relevant to do- mestic violence cases. First, a court, the Correction- al Services Agency, or the Parole Board has to authorise electronic monitoring. Then, LESA fits an ankle bracelet and secures the re- strictions. Where the individual lives, when they must be home, where they are allowed to go, and where they are not. After that, the monitoring begins. So far, this has been carried out 18 times. What's next? Still, the story goes on. On 26 September, Home Affairs Min- ister Glenn Bedingfield said gov- ernment is considering expand- ing electronic tagging to allow it to be used more often in crimi- nal cases. Bedingfield made the com- ments while sitting down for a Saturday radio interview with academic Andrew Azzopardi, where he described the existing circumstances in which elec- tronic tagging can be used as "restrictive." However, Bedingfield never ex- plained which additional offenc- es, offenders, or legal circum- stances he would like to become eligible. Asked about the min- ister's remarks, a spokesperson for the ministry replied: "At this stage the minister would prefer to publish the proposals once ready." 6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 18 OCTOBER 2026 NEWS Eight breaches, 18 people tagged: Malta's electronic monitoring nine months on The Home Affairs Ministry confirmed that eight breaches have been detected since January, as government considers expanding the use of electronic monitoring. But where did it all start? EVA BRANNON ebrannon@mediatoday.com.mt Electronic tagging became operational in January 2026 and was spurred by the murder of Bernice Cassar (left), who despite having obtained a court protection order against her husband still ended up murdered. An inquiry into her murder found system failures and recommended, among other measures, the introduction of electronic tagging for perpetrators of crime