Twannie Aquilina murder site to become ‘Ġiġa Suites’ short-let units
'I’m not sure whether people will be put off or intrigued,' developer says
The site of the murder of eight-year-old Twannie Aquilina – one of the most infamous homicides in Malta’s history – is being renovated, with apartments in the block set to be available for short lets.
Twannie was killed in a two-bedroom apartment at 102, St Dominic Street, Valletta, on August 23, 1960, in a crime that shook the country. His mother, Luiġa Camilleri, known as Ġiġa, and his stepfather, Leli, were found guilty of the murder.
Malcolm Cassar, the developer behind the project, which consists of turning 13 apartments into eight and restoring the facade, said that aside from the sensitivity of the site, the renovation itself had proven complicated.
“The building had been abandoned since around the time of the murder, meaning that there were some structural issues that made it dangerous. In recent years, it was also occupied by squatters, including drug addicts who sheltered there,” Cassar said, adding that the apartments would be available for short lets.
“I’m not sure whether people will be put off or intrigued by the idea of staying in such a place,” he said.
Cassar said that during the works, an individual had offered to buy the building’s old front door. “I guess they wanted it as a keepsake,” he said.
Asked if any memorial to Twannie would be included at the site, Cassar said he had not yet decided but was set on calling the block ‘Ġiġa Suites’.
Although she was convicted of the crime, Ġiġa consistently maintained her innocence throughout the proceedings and long after her release. In later interviews, members of the family recalled that she never accepted the version of events laid out in court, insisting she had not harmed the boy.
Her daughter – a key witness in the trial – would decades later say she had felt pressured during police questioning, casting fresh doubts on the reliability of some of the evidence gathered at the time.
Subsequent reporting and documentaries have also highlighted several inconsistencies that have fuelled lingering debate around the case, from unidentified fingerprints found at the scene to the absence of bloodstains on the clothing allegedly worn during the killing.
While none of these issues has led to a reopening of the investigation, they have contributed to a sense that the full truth of what happened inside the St Dominic Street apartment may never be completely resolved.