Six years ago, Daphne Caruana Galizia was brutally killed in a car explosion as she left her home in Bidnija. Her mission and her work, however, did not die with her.
Her assassination gave credence to what she had been reporting. It cast a spotlight on corruption, cronyism, and misconduct within the government. It led to public protests and intensified calls for political accountability.
Her murder was an evident attempt to sow fear among investigative journalists and a direct attack on a fundamental right: press freedom.
The masterminds wanted to stop her from writing more blogs that gave them, and others too, sleepless nights.
But Caruana Galizia had started a fire through what she was writing and revealing and those responsible for her killing – and we are not speaking about the criminals who manufactured, planted and detonated the explosive device who were only after money – burnt their fingers.
Once she was assassinated, those behind her murder must have thought their mission was accomplished but they soon began to see the new writing on the wall.
Civil society ensured that determination remained, and the independent media was resolute in proving the pen is mightier than the sword.
A formidable front was formed, and the flame started by Caruana Galizia has now become a wildfire, as the continuous flow of scandals being unearthed demonstrates.
Civil society and the independent media are a credit to this country, and this should make all of us so proud. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same about a number of the institutions.
The criminals who killed Caruana Galizia are now behind bars, but the people who purportedly ordered the execution have not yet been sentenced.
We keep reading reports of other top government officials who wanted Caruana Galizia dead but their plan was scuppered for some reason. It is important that the police assure us that they have left no stone unturned.
In reality, the institutions had been failing the country and its people when Caruana Galizia was killed and the changes since then have been minimal.
The public inquiry into the Bidnija murder held the State responsible for the assassination as a culture of impunity infiltrated the country’s institutions.
That culture persists, as demonstrated by none other than Prime Minister Robert Abela himself when, just days ago, he defended ministers and government officials corrupting structures meant to ensure the smooth running of the public administration.
Soon after Caruana Galizia was murdered, Times of Malta had commented that “something is rotten at the core, so rotten it now threatens to undermine everything”.
It highlighted the shambolic state of the police force and the need for the country’s institutions to deliver and defend citizens.
“It begins to sound like a failed state,” it warned.
Today, six long, painful years later, the State continues perpetuating that failure. What happened on that balmy afternoon six years ago should have challenged each one of us to stand up and be counted.
As we mark the sixth anniversary of her assassination, all of us must remain resolute in taking up that challenge.
We keep seeing despicable online comments that Caruana Galizia got what she deserved while conspiracy theorists keep fanning stories intended to liberate the probable perpetrators. That is a dangerous game. In a failed State, there can be tragic consequences.