Anger and outrage over a decision by government MPs to veto a request for a public inquiry into the death of Jean Paul Sofia has gripped the country shocked following angry confrontations outside parliament. 

The outcome of the vote dominated social media on Thursday morning, with many criticising the government’s decision not to support the public inquiry, even among personalities associated with the Labour Party. 

Former Labour minister Evarist Bartolo published a poem in the aftermath of the vote saying the truth should not remain hidden to “cover up for the deficiencies of contractors and the sins of authorities”. 

In comments to Times of Malta, Bartolo said that he supported calls for a public inquiry and signed a petition from the Sofia family. 

“I tried to push the government internally towards having a public inquiry into this case, even to shed more light about systemic shortcomings in the sector,” he said. 

“This decision has created more mistrust in politicians. The contractors have remained silent and allowed politicians to fight this fight for them.” 

On Wednesday evening, parliament shot down an Opposition motion calling for an independent public inquiry into Sofia’s death and instead replaced it with a government-amended version that removed any reference to a public inquiry and instead called for a quick conclusion to the magisterial inquiry. 

Sofia, 20, died buried under rubble last December after a building under construction in Corradino collapsed while he was on site. 

The vote triggered an immediate outcry from Sofia’s bereaved family with footage showing Prime Minister Robert Abela silently being escorted out of parliament, failing to meet the gaze of Sofia’s devastated family members demanding answers from him. 

Gżira's Labour mayor Conrad Borg Manche said he was “disappointed” in the outcome of the vote while former ONE reporter and Domestic Violence Commissioner Simone Cini said she “wouldn’t want to be a hair” on any of the government MPs who voted against the motion. 

“Isabelle, every parent is carrying some of your sorrow … but this isn’t enough. Be courageous,” Cini said. 

Christopher Mintoff, the former president of the Kamra tal-Periti said the construction industry “cannot go on without being subsidied by people’s lives”. 

University pro-rector Carmen Sammut made a post aimed directly at the Labour Party, asking why it had allowed a mother’s grief to become “an albatross around your neck”. 

“Where has your emotional intelligence gone? Why do you allow the sins of a hungry sector to transfer onto yourself? How do you intend to reconnect meaningfully with constituents?” Sammut wrote. 

Activists and groups who have campaigned for reform in the construction industry also expressed anger at the government’s reticence to a public inquiry. 

Janet Zahra Walker, whose family home collapsed after another construction accident in 2019, said that the outcome of the vote was a “real injury”. 

“Do you know what we’re good for, to go to coffee mornings, a couple of pastizzi, ham sandwiches and a round of tombola to boot,” she said. 

“There they come to shake your hand and once they’re elected they’ll wave to you from up there, but with the same hand they will send you packing.” 

Movement Graffitti activist Andre Callus said he had no words to express the sadness and anger he felt watching the “nonchalance” of Abela and the rest of the Labour MPs. 

Several Facebook users even switched their profile pictures to a black square or images of Sofia and his family members in solidarity. 

A news report by Labour Party media wing ONE on the vote also came under heavy scrutiny on social media.

Quoting a statement from the Labour Party, ONE said that the government parliamentary’s groups decision to torpedo all references to the public inquiry out of the motion was “just” and encouraged those leading the criminal investigation into Sofia’s death to keep the family in the loop with developments in the investigation.

However, reactions to the publication were overwhelmingly negative, with many commenters highlighting that how ONE chose to characterise the outcome of the vote did not reflect the whole picture of the situation.

“North Korea has more honest reporting than this,” reads the top comment on the story. Another commenter expressed that a lot of people, including Labour supporters have been left disappointed by the decision.

“You’ve deeply hurt a heartbroken mother who places her trust in you,” he said.

Meanwhile, the victim's cousin, Nicole, shared a picture of Jean Paul and herself as children, saying that Malta has become a “disgusting and corrupt” country. 

“My cousin died for nothing and we are still here six months later without any sort of justice,” she said. 

“We lost a genuine person and a true gentleman but unfortunately people, especially those in government, not only do not care about this but are doing everything in their power to obscure the truth and we, his family, are suffering every day.”