Erin Tanti may have impregnated partner via unauthorised insemination

Convicted killer Erin Tanti may have illicitly fathered a child from behind bars through artificial insemination, Times of Malta has learned.

Prison sources allege that Tanti, who is serving a 20-year sentence, could have smuggled his sperm out of Corradino Correctional Facility in an attempt to impregnate his partner.

Tanti is currently serving a 20-year sentence for the murder of teenager Lisa Maria Zahra in 2014.

Sources told Times of Malta that if he is really due to have a child, as alleged by Zahra’s relatives a few weeks ago, it is through a clandestine sperm donation not authorised by the prison administration.

Tanti has never been allowed to have any intimate, physical encounters with the mother of the child, they said.

“While he has been allowed out on prison leave several times, he was never left unattended,” one source close to prison said.

“He was never allowed to be in a situation that would have allowed him to be privately intimate with another person.”

The woman has been in a relationship with Tanti before he entered prison.

“If the child is indeed his, as the victim’s family are alleging, then the only way it could have been done is through unauthorised artificial insemination,” another source said.

Where it all started

Lisa Maria Zahra, 15, was killed at Dingli Cliffs in 2014 by her drama teacher Tanti, who, in 2019 pleaded guilty to murder charges.

Tanti had been accused of wilful homicide as well as having assisted his teenage student in the suicide, after the two were discovered at the bottom of the cliffs in March 2014.

The man was also accused of having defiled the underage girl at the time when he was her teacher.

Tanti admitted to committing all the charges and was handed a 20-year prison sentence, meaning he is currently confined inside Paola’s Corradino Correctional Facility (CCF).

Last month, however, the victim’s cousin, Winston J. Zahra, took to social media to claim that Tanti had been granted prison leave multiple times while serving time, and is now an expecting father.

“While serving his sentence, he wasn’t just let out – he met a young woman, who is now pregnant with his child! How does this happen under supposed supervision,” Zahra said.

“What kind of system do we have that protects the killer while ignoring the safety of wider society and the lifelong pain he caused the family? This isn’t justice.”

Zahra also claimed that a “media personality” had facilitated the process, and although he did not identify anyone, many pointed to academic and prisoners’ rights activist Andrew Azzopardi.

Azzopardi denied he pressured prison authorities to grant Tanti prison leave, and said those decisions are ultimately the responsibility of the prison director.

Sources close to prison confirmed with Times of Malta that the woman Tanti is allegedly in a relationship with is pregnant, but prison authorities denied he was ever left unattended during prison leave.

So how could it have happened, then?

Internal evidence suggests Tanti may have smuggled sperm out of the facility to impregnate the woman through artificial insemination.

Prison authorities would not confirm whether this is true or whether there is an ongoing investigation into the case. It is also unclear how the procedure took place and who facilitated it.

Times of Malta also attempted to contact Tanti for comment, by calling him in prison. The prison officials who answered the phone said they could not pass the call to him, but offered to inform him about the call and give him the option to call back. He had not replied until the time of publication.

Why does this matter?

The prospect of a prison inmate becoming a father while incarcerated raises a number of ethical dilemmas.

One key argument against inmates having children while still serving time often centres on the well-being of the child.

Critics argue that a child deserves to be raised in a stable environment with both parents physically present and actively involved.

They raise concerns about the emotional toll on the child of having a parent behind bars, the potential stigma associated with it, and the practical challenges faced by the other parent in raising a child alone.

Furthermore, some might question the inmate’s ability to provide adequate emotional and financial support from within prison, even with visits and communication.

The argument often leans towards the idea that until an individual has fully reintegrated into society and demonstrated rehabilitation, bringing a child into their life could create undue hardship for both the child and the caregiver.

On the other hand, arguments in favour often emphasise the fundamental human right to procreate and the potential for fatherhood to be a powerful catalyst for positive change and rehabilitation.

Supporters might argue that maintaining family connections, including the bond with a child, can provide inmates with a strong motivation to reform and lead a law-abiding life upon release.

One source close to prison is not convinced, though.

“And what happens if you don’t rehabilitate? Not every inmate manages to rehabilitate. What, then? It would be unfair and dangerous for the children you conceived.”

Can Malta’s prisoners get intimate and have children?

Inmates cannot have sexual intercourse though they could until the pandemic. They were entitled to a ‘conjugal visit’ – also known as an ‘extended visit’ – around once a month.

Their partner was allowed inside prison and the two were left alone in a room. It did not matter whether the couple were married or simply partners.

But the system was reportedly abused by inmates and found demeaning for women.

Prison authorities are yet to devise a new system that would allow inmates to have unsupervised, intimate visits with their partners. Prison leave does not allow them that luxury, as they are constantly under supervision.

However, prison rules do not stop inmates from asking for permission to conceive children, although multiple sources say they have never heard of an inmate making such a request.

An inmate could put a request in writing to the prison director, who would then discuss it with the inmate and consult with the state’s family professionals. The director would then decide whether it’s justified or appropriate for the inmate to conceive children.

This decision would depend on the inmate’s stage in the rehabilitation process, including how far they are from their release date and whether they are showing clear signs of proper rehabilitation.