Nicolette Ghirxi’s brother has labelled as “a farce” the inquiry by the Police Complaints Board into the events leading up to her murder.

Speaking to Times of Malta after the inquiry report’s publication, John Ghirxi disputed the findings, highlighting that the police had failed to act despite Nicolette’s expressed concerns.

Earlier, he had vented his frustration on social media.  

Screenshot: Facebook

Reacting to the conclusions of the inquiry underneath a story published on Times of Malta’s facebook wall, Ghirxi was unequivocal: "Today my sister has been killed a second time." 

Nicolette Ghirxi was murdered by her former partner Edward Johnston late at night on August 11 in her apartment in Swatar. Johnston was shot dead by the police after a three-hour standoff in St Julian’s on August 12.

The inquiry looked into the actions of police in the run up to the murder, following Ghrixi's reports of harassment. 

It absolved the police of responsibility but highlighted how Nicolette had informed the police on August 8 that her former partner, Edward Johnston, was back in Malta and that she was “worried” for her safety. 

Despite this, the report revealed that no further action was taken, with the inspector preoccupied with other duties at the time. 

The PCB concluded that there was no clear indication of an imminent threat, stating that Johnston’s messages to Nicolette were considered "mere words, insults, and harassment."

Ghirxi told Times of Malta he believes that the police failed to act on warnings and concerns raised by Nicolette in the hours leading up to her murder.

He rejected claims that his sister had refused to undergo a risk assessment, pointing out that Nicolette had been discouraged from doing so by authorities, as revealed in a voice note she sent to a friend on April 22, the day she filed a domestic violence report.  

FSWS have disputed this version of events.

The PCB report indicates that the police inspector responsible for the case, during that weekend was occupied with human trafficking work, and since Nicolette’s case was deemed low-risk, he had not yet developed the information he needed.

The PCB also established that police had no grounds to arrest Nicolette Ghirxi’s murderer when he returned to Malta in early August, but “the only thing [they] could have done was summon him for questioning.”

Nicolette Ghirxi was murdered allegedly by her former partner Edward Johnston late at night on August 11.

Her body was found in her apartment in Swatar hours after the murder.

Johnston was shot by the police after a three-hour standoff in St Julian’s on August 12.

Women's lobby slams police board's report

The Malta Women's Lobby said on Thursday that the police board's report was deeply concerning and merited immediate action.

"The situation exposes evident critical failings in the protection of women in Malta, and yet the Police Board absolves its officers of any liability, while the rest of us are left wondering how, once again, no one is held accountable for the untimely death of another one of us.

"This is not acceptable. If the authorities assert that they did not fail Nicolette Ghirxi, despite her reports, then we must question the safety of every woman in this country - if current procedures remain unchanged and unchallenged, no woman can feel truly protected," the lobby said. 

It asked how, once Ghirxi alerted the authorities that her perpetrator was arriving in Malta, no action was taken when he was on the wanted list.

"The authorities’ failure to apprehend him, and their disregard for the clear and present danger the victim was facing, calls into question the effectiveness of the systems meant to protect victims."

The lobby called for urgent policy changes and legislative reforms to grant Appoġġ assessors and relevant authorities access to criminal records in cases involving domestic violence and other forms of abuse.