Updated 4pm 

The femicide of Nicolette Ghirxi, who was stabbed to death by her ex-partner on Sunday night, highlights the urgent need to address the often-underestimated dangers faced by victims of intimate partner violence, according to women’s rights experts.

They agreed that the reporting system needs to be more sensitive to the realities of women who feel harassed or threatened. The women might not recognise the risks, but professionals should guide them and take any threats more seriously.

Nicolette Ghirxi, 48, was stabbed to death in her apartment in Birkirkara and police shot dead the suspect - her Irish ex-partner Edward William Johnston, 50 - after he pointed a replica gun at officers in St Julian's on Monday morning. 

Although there were no previous reports of violence between the two, Ghirxi had filed a harassment report in April linked to some emails Johnston sent her after their breakup in December.

She was offered a risk assessment but declined – in writing - saying she did not feel at risk at that moment in time.

She filed another report of harassment in May, again linked to emails described as harassing but not threatening. At the time the police established that Johnston was in Ireland.  

Last month, Ghirxi informed police about slanderous posts written about her and that she suspected Johnston, who was still abroad at the time. 

Family members told Times of Malta how Johnston ran fake social media accounts posing as Ricardo Raspini and Lisa Campo to target his former partner, at one point making accusations about her sex life.

He even attempted to have her sacked from her job at HSBC Malta, where she held a senior position as head of mortgages.

Last Thursday at 9pm, Grixti informed police by email that Johnston might be in Malta.

She was found dead on Monday at 2am in her apartment on Mro Giuseppe Busuttil Street in Swatar. Police said that her latest report was still being processed because it was considered "low risk". 

A cry for help

Academic and activist Marceline Naudi said that women living in abusive relationships tend to underestimate the abuse and risk they face.

“So when they say, in any way or form: ‘I feel at risk’ - then action needs to be swift. I would suggest that her reporting that the perpetrator was now in Malta could be seen as precisely such a situation,” she said.

Victims of intimate partner violence find it difficult to admit and report that the person they chose as their partner was abusive, Naudi explained. 

“It is often experienced as being humiliating and the reason is that we believe that people - society - will judge us. Society still expects us, especially as women, to make a relationship work. We still carry that responsibility One of the main things we need to do is change the mentality of society,” she said.

Lawyer Marita Pace Dimech, who has been part of the legal team representing the family of femicide victim Bernice Cassar, said that the fact that Ghirxi filed a report meant that there was some form of fear. 

“While the victim could have been naïve in terms of not recognising the danger she was in, the professionals should have guided her and encouraged her to carry out the risk assessment to better understand the risk she was in,” the lawyer said. 

She added that this showed a lack of training amongst staff and the lack of a follow-up system to such reports. 

Karl Grech, from Victim Support Malta, said harassment and stalking "should never be dismissed as minor".

"When someone fixates on another person, their motives and potential actions are unpredictable, particularly given the unknowns around their mental state," he said. 

Victims often hold back from escalating such incidents because "they fear that police protection might be minimal, while the risk of provoking their perpetrator could be high," he noted.

The National Council of Women agreed that the very report of harassment “is a cry for urgent help that must be addressed immediately…“We implore the people in authority to put stricter policies in place to investigate each harassment report with the strictest force of the law,” the council said.

This sentiment was echoed by Anna Borg, chairperson of the Malta Women's Lobby, who said that the case of Ghirxi was a wake-up call. 

“Research consistently shows that victims of violence from their partners, particularly those experiencing severe psychological trauma, may underestimate their risk of future violence,” she said adding that society had to recognise the signs of such risks and provide adequate support to those who may not fully perceive the danger they are in. 

“It is also imperative for institutions offering support to potential victims to take any form of threat seriously, and it should not be the victim who assesses the risk posed, but the professionals working in the field, who are knowledgable of the fact that victims may not in a position to gauge the level of danger that they are in.”

Elaine Compagno, from the Women for Women Foundation, said the foundation agreed that “it was not up to the victim to decide who is at risk or not - but the people taking the report should be trained enough to know that, if someone is pursuing and harassing someone months later, they need to recognise the signs of escalating risk”.

“Unfortunately, the authorities tend to dismiss the level of risk,” said Compagno who has experience working with victims of domestic violence.   

She said that in the case of Ghirxi, we know that she reported harassment more than once and, to report harassment even once there must be repetitive behaviour. Staff need to be trained to see that there is an escalation and that this person is in danger.

Action needed

The Malta Women’s Lobby called for immediate action that includes: 

•    Enhanced Support Services: Strengthening resources available to victims, including psychological support, legal aid and emergency housing, to help them recognize the severity of their situation and take necessary steps to protect themselves.

•    Improved Risk Assessment Training: Ensuring that all professionals who interact with victims of intimate partner violence—such as police officers, social workers and healthcare providers—are thoroughly trained in risk assessment and safety planning.

•    Public Awareness Campaigns: Increasing public awareness of the signs of intimate partner violence and the resources available to those in need. It is crucial that friends, family members, and colleagues know how to support someone who may be at risk.

•    Policy Reforms: Urging policymakers to review and strengthen laws related to stalking, harassment, and intimate partner violence, ensuring that they provide adequate protection for victims.