Equality junior minister Rebecca Buttigieg has spoken out about the impact of social media influencers like Andrew Tate for “normalising highly concerning attitudes towards women”.

The Labour MP’s comments to Times of Malta come days after Nicolette Ghirxi was found stabbed to death in her Birkirkara flat, allegedly by her ex-partner Edward Johnston.

In his last YouTube video, Johnston had spoken out in support of Tate, who has amassed millions of followers for his divisive content and is detained in Romania as part of a human trafficking and rape investigation.

Buttigieg, who helped usher in changes to Malta’s criminal code that mandated higher penalties for people found guilty of femicide, spoke out against toxic messaging on social media.

“The new form of very effective viral content is not only normalising highly concerning attitudes towards women but also towards men’s mental health,” she said.

“This is even more concerning when promoted by public figures, such as Andrew Tate, and politicians who normalise such behaviour.”

Buttigieg said she was very concerned about how widely disseminated and easily available sexism and misogynistic rhetoric is becoming.

“We must continue to condemn these attitudes while ensuring that respect and equality remain a priority,” she said.

“There is a strong need for responsible leadership and effective education to dismantle stereotypes.”

Tate, a former kickboxer, rose to fame for promoting a hyper-masculine, materialistic lifestyle. He denies charges of human trafficking and being part of an organised crime gang in Romania. In some of his most popular videos, Tate says rape victims must “bear responsibility” for their attacks and that wives are the property of their husbands.

Johnston saw Tate as 'very successful man'

Johnston, 50, who was shot dead by the police after he pointed a fake gun at them on Monday, saw Tate as “a very successful man” who was falsely accused for speaking the truth.

In one of the last videos he uploaded, Johnston warned viewers that things had become “real, real serious” with global elites working to oppress “the common man”. He claimed that the few public figures “who are trying to be honest with the world and telling the people how this world is run”, including Tate, British comedian Russell Brand, who faces allegations of rape and assault, and former US president Donald Trump, are being “taken out” by false allegations.

“Don’t you find it funny that the most heinous of allegations is any kind of sexual allegation so the Tate brothers – human trafficking, sexual abuse, etc, etc. – same with Russell Brand,” he asked his followers.

In the months before the murder, Johnston had been harassing Ghirxi. His behaviour included setting up fake accounts showing pictures of her in lingerie and making allegations about her sex life.

Influencer Andrew Tate has been detained in Romania as part of human trafficking and rape allegations. Photo: AFP Right: MP Rebecca Buttigieg says Tate is ‘normalising highly concerning attitudes towards women’. File photo: Times of Malta

He posted her address on social media and told her employer, HSBC, that she should be fired.

Ghirxi had complained multiple times to the police about the harassment.

In an e-mail exchange made public by her lawyer, Johnston mocked officers who summoned him for questioning last April, telling them he was abroad to “top up my tan” and would be back for some “fun in the sun” in July.

Ghirxi, who has been described as a “vibrant soul” by her family, was found dead in her apartment on Monday. She will be laid to rest on Saturday.