Judge Rosemarie Aquilina is the main guest of the 2019 Malta Book Festival, the National Book Council has announced.

Judge Aquilina, the daughter of a Maltese father and German mother, both emigrants, is most notable for presiding over the 2018 US gymnastics sex abuse scandal, which found former Olympic doctor Larry Nassar guilty of sexually abusing 156 girls and women over the previous two decades.

The way she guided the court hearings and her strong language directed to the accused made headlines all over the world, with the most significant part of the trial being the part she allowed 140 victims to tell their story in front of the aggressor.

Outside of her usual working schedule, Judge Aquilina is vociferous and active in issues regarding sexual abuse and the dignity of human beings. Among others, she was instrumental in amending a statute so as to make things harder for child abusers in the future.

She is also a writer, and has two crime novels to her name: Feel No Evil (2003, Porch Swing Press) and Triple Cross Killer (2017, Fiery Seas Publishing).

The public attending the Malta Book Festival will have the opportunity to meet this year’s special guest during activities dedicated to both her work as a writer and also as a strong supporter of human rights.

The Malta Book Festival is running between November 6 and 10 and is held at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta.