Zurrieq mayor convicted of harassing Daphne Caruana Galizia
Zurrieq Mayor Ignatius Farrugia, together with Maria and Kimberly Vassallo, were found guilty of harassing Malta Independent columnist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who in turn was acquitted of defaming the two women.
14 January 2014, 12:00am
Chris Mangion
Chris Mangion
2 min read
Zurrieq Mayor Ignatius Farrugia, together with mother and daughter Maria and Kimberly Vassallo, were found guilty of harassing Malta Independent columnist Daphne Caruana Galizia, during a parish feast in Rabat, on 29 March 2012.
The columnist and blogger had sought refuge in a Rabat convent after a run-in with a small crowd shouting 'Malta Taghna Lkoll' - the Labour electoral slogan - and who were said to have asked that the priests throw Caruana Galizia out of the convent.
During previous sittings, witnesses gave graphic descriptions of how Farrugia walked behind Caruana Galizia, gesticulating to mock her. The two women were said to have called the blogger "an evil woman".
Magistrate Francesco Depasquale found the three accused guilty of breaching the public peace and harassing the blogger. However the two women were acquitted of charges of assault. They were each fined €2,400. Caruana Galizia was placed under a protection order for a year against a guarantee of €1,000.
Inspector Sarah Magro prosecuted, while lawyers Marion Camilleri and Chris Cilia appeared for Farrugia and the Vassallos respectively. After judgement was delivered, Zurrieq mayor Ignatius Farrugia together with Maria and Kimberly Vassallo filed an appeal from the court's decision.
In a separate case, Caruana Galizia was acquitted of defaming the Vassallos when she published their photos on her blog. The photos, taken from the women's Facebook profiles showed the Vassallos during a costume party.
Magistrate Francesco Depasquale said that everyone had a right to publish their own photos on social media, including Facebook, however when doing so one had accept to be on the receiving end of comments and ridicule posted by others as a reaction to the pictures. The Vassallos had freely decided to post their photos on Facebook. Caruana Galizia used photos available to the general public and commented about them. "Such comments were deemed as fair comment," the magistrate said.
Caruana Galizia was acquitted of defaming the mother and daughter.
Chris Mangion is MaltaToday’s photojournalist, joining the newspaper in 2013.
In 1995...
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It is a pity that we differentiate between physical, verbal harassment and violence in public, and written, psychological violence and harassment in newspapers and blogs! Justice is, alas, unjust.
With the three leaders of the PN being lawyers, it is of no wonder that certain decisions by the courts seem biased. The leaders know well the loopholes in our judicial system and they use them very well!
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Of course the Zurrieq Mayor would be found guilty by our PN Courts when dealing with DCG!!!!! But for DCG to post the dirt she places against the PL for all this length of time with absolute impunity, then this warrants an automatic acquittal by the same PN Courts. There is no doubt that for the last 90 years our Courts of Law have always been controlled by the PN and it will remain so unless the Government is bold enough with the reforms required to stop such abuse against the great majority of the Maltese People and give us at last a truly independent Court System worthy of the trust of the People.
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Dan nista niehu bhala hobby. Insib xi ritatt u noqod nitmejjel bil proxmu la ikun publiku hux hekk?
Jew jien ma nistax?
Igor P. Shuvalov •
Of course when publishing "one had to accept to be on the receiving end" but does this mean that any kind of comment is acceptable?
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Adding insult to injury? She has been insulting people for ages and when taken to court she was let scott free: These are the 'serious' cases which the Commmission for Justice should inquiry about u mela jekk imhallef intix President tal-Kumitat Olimpiku Malti? No wonder we have all lost trust in the local courts!
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Adding insult to injury? She has been insulting people for ages and when taken to court she was let scott free: These are the 'serious' cases which the Commmission for Justice should inquiry about u mela jekk imhallef intix President tal-Kumitat Olimpiku Malti? No wonder we have all lost trust in the local courts!
