Updated 7.10pm

The police interrogated the suspect in the murder of Bernice Cassar after his discharge from hospital on Wednesday afternoon.

Roderick Cassar, 42, was hospitalised for medical checks early on Wednesday after he was arrested when officers stormed his house in Qrendi at the end of a 17-hour standoff.

Sources told Times of Malta that police formally questioned Cassar at 3.30pm over the fatal shooting of his wife on Tuesday morning.

He is expected to be arraigned on Thursday (tomorrow).

Sources said that once he was taken into custody, Cassar was immediately transferred to Mater Dei Hospital for observation.  

Investigators were concerned that he would be referred to the Mount Carmel psychiatric facility, which would have meant that it could have been hours, if not days until they were allowed to question him. 

However, he was cleared for questioning shortly after 12pm on Wednesday.  

What will happen next?

Under the 48-hour charge or release rule, police have until the early hours of Friday morning to arraign him in court or release him.  

On Wednesday morning forensics specialists were carrying out gunshot residue tests.

The suspected murder weapon was lifted from Cassar’s home on Qrendi’s Triq il-Kartaġiniżi.

Officers are also digging through CCTV footage lifted from the murder scene trying to place Cassar at the scene of the shooting. They were also gathering civilian testimony.  

Cassar is being represented by lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri. 

Bernice Cassar was shot twice and police believe the killing is a consequence of a history of domestic strife between her and her estranged husband.  

Times of Malta has reported how the victim had repeatedly reported the suspect to the police over domestic violence, with a report filed as recently as Monday.  

The government has launched an independent inquiry to establish whether any state institutions failed to prevent the killing.   

An outpouring of anger

Cassar's murder sparked an outpouring of grief and anger among broader society, with political  groups, civil society organisations and women's rights activists all issuing statements in reaction to the killing. 

Both the PL and PN's women's wing said society had "failed" Cassar, while former president Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca called for a "complete revision" of existing laws to better protect women. 

The Malta Women's Lobby said authorities had to take immediate action to prevent future such cases, while the emPOWER group of civil society organisations called for court protection orders to be subject to continuous monitoring and more effective - and efficient - handling of domestic violence cases. 

"When is tougher action going to be taken against gender-based violence?," the emPOWer platform asked. "And when are we going to implement an educational campaign for all ages and levels of society to bring about a positive culture change?"