The police have filed charges of involuntary homicide charges against two prison warders suspected to be criminally responsible for the death by suicide of 29-year-old inmate Kim Borg Nicolas Virtu last June.
The two high-ranking warders will face criminal proceedings before Magistrate Caroline Farrugia Frendo.
They are expected to be arraigned in the coming days and charged over their alleged failure to stick to protocols, leading to the prisoner’s death. They will also be charged with committing a crime they were duty-bound to prevent in the line of duty.
Involuntary homicide carries a maximum prison term of four years or a fine of €11,000.
The criminal action is being taken after a magisterial inquiry into the inmate’s death found shortcomings with regard to two correctional officials. Borg Nicolas Virtu was found unconscious in her cell on June 16 and died in Mater Dei Hospital on July 4, after three weeks in intensive care.
Her funeral was held on August 31, her 30th birthday.
Her father broke his silence with a heart-wrenching interview with Times of Malta on Friday, insisting his daughter had been driven to insanity by the regime inside Corradino Correctional Facility.
He said his daughter had been “pushed to the brink” after prison employees “broke her to pieces and shredded her to bits”.
He also claimed that after his daughter told prison warders she felt suicidal, they gave her a blanket and a pair of jogging trousers, which she used for the suicide attempt.
The young woman was serving a two-year jail term after admitting to six counts of fraud and theft last February and had only three more weeks to serve.
Her father said he had never been informed about any issues with his daughter’s mental health. The first time it was mentioned was while she was in the ITU, when a prison doctor told him that his daughter had made four previous suicide attempts, with the last episode just two days before the one that landed her in critical condition in hospital.
This contrasts with what the CCF previously told Times of Malta soon after her death, that she had never expressed any suicidal thoughts and was not on suicide watch.
If you need emotional support, you can call Richmond Malta’s helpline on 1770. In case of an emergency, call Mater Dei Hospital’s Crisis Intervention Service on 2545 3950. Alternatively, type OLLI.Chat on your desktop, mobile or tablet browser to chat with a professional 24/7.