The mother of Jean Paul Sofia, the 20-year-old who died in a construction collapse last December, has demanded a meeting with Prime Minister Robert Abela, a day after he all but excluded holding a public inquiry into the young man's death. 

“My heart (is) in a million pieces! As Jean Paul’s mother, I would like to meet privately with the prime minister. I want nothing more than for him to assure me that things will go as they should and properly,” Isabelle Bonnici told Times of Malta when contacted yesterday.

The loss of an only child due to the negligence and lack of discipline in rules...is the highest price one can ever pay.- Jean Paul Sofia's mother Isabelle Bonnici

She was asked for a reaction after Abela was evasive on Wednesday when asked whether a public inquiry would be appointed to look into her son’s tragic death. He was replying to a parliamentary question by Nationalist MP Jerome Caruana Cilia.

As he avoided the question on whether a public inquiry would be launched, Abela observed that there was an ongoing magisterial inquiry as well as investigations by other relevant authorities.

“If we really want justice, the work of these institutions should be allowed to be done in serenity. At the same time, I want to appeal to them to give maximum importance to this case, so that justice is done fast with the victim’s family, first and foremost, and with society,” Abela said.

The remains of the building that collapsed on December 3, killing Jean Paul Sofia. Photo: Jonathan Borg

No one charged so far

The Corradino industrial estate construction site where Sofia was killed on December 3 was being developed into a timber factory. Sofia was found dead, buried beneath the rubble following a 14-hour search that ended at 2am.

Five workers were rescued from the rubble, three of them seriously injured.

The police have, so far, not charged anyone with a crime in connection with the collapse and the Building and Construction Authority has not made any public statements on the matter.

Bonnici said she would leave no stone unturned to ensure that no mother would go through the trauma and “heartbreak” she was going through.

“I want that whoever was negligent, didn’t do his job and or did shoddy work for greed, will pay for their actions. Those of us who loved him and are innocent in all this are paying for their actions much, much more than they can ever pay.

“The loss of an only child due to the negligence and lack of discipline in rules governing occupational health and safety is the highest price one can ever pay. I now have a duty to work so that the same thing does not happen to any mother again,” she said.

“I need your support so that, together with the strength of a lion that a true mother has in these circumstances, justice will be done in the name of Jean Paul Sofia,” she added.

'Magisterial inquiries could take months'

Bonnici has already complained that she was still in the dark about what had happened to her son as she called for justice and a public inquiry.

Times of Malta reported last month that court-appointed experts were still compiling reports into the Corradino collapse. Magistrate Marse-Ann Farrugia is heading the inquiry. 

Legal sources said magisterial inquiries could take months, especially if they involved different tests on the building material which was being used in the project.

“This is not an open and shut case, especially when it comes to apportioning blame. The experts need to be allowed to work in serenity and do all the tests they need to do to carry out their duties to the best of their abilities,” one source, who is usually appointed as a court expert, told Times of Malta. The source is not working on this case.

Bernard Grech calls for public inquiry

Opposition leader Bernard Grech yesterday questioned the prime minister’s reluctance to order a public inquiry into the collapse.

He asked what the prime minister was hiding and whom he was defending.

He said the young victim’s family deserved to know the truth, more so as the country had failed Sofia.

A public inquiry was the least that could be done to heal this wound on society, Grech said.

In reaction, the Labour Party accused Grech of being more interested in political stunts than justice. 

Had he been interested in justice he would have repeated Abela’s appeal for the magisterial inquiry and the investigations to be allowed to continue serenely, it said.