Two prison warders to face criminal charges in coming days

Two prison warders have been charged with involuntary homicide of an inmate who attempted suicide and will appear in court in the coming days.

The two warders will appear in front of Magistrate Caroline Farrugia Frendo, Times of Malta reports on Saturday.

The two warders, which MaltaToday understands are high-ranking female officials, stand charged with having caused the involuntary homicide of Kim Borg Nicolas Virtu, a 29-year-old inmate.

Borg had attempted suicide in prison last June and died at Mater Dei Hospital three weeks later.

A magisterial inquiry found that the two warders failed to stick to protocols, leading to the prisoner’s death. They will also be charged with committing a crime they were duty-bound to prevent.

The prison officials were suspended earlier this week and are facing separate disciplinary procedures.

Involuntary homicide carries a maximum prison term of four years and/or a fine of €11,000.

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In a heart-wrenching interview with Times of Malta on Friday, Borg’s father insisted his daughter was driven to insanity by the Corradino Correctional Facility’s tough regime.

He accused prison officials of breaking his daughter and claimed that when she told warders of suicidal thoughts, they gave her a blanket and a pair of jogging trousers, which she used for the suicide attempt.

The young woman was serving a two-year jail term after admitting to six counts of fraud and theft last February and had only three more weeks to serve. She was a drug addict and had asked to be able to undergo a drug rehabilitation problem.

The father said he had never been informed about any issues with his daughter’s mental health and the first time it was mentioned was while she was in the ITU by a prison doctor.

This claim contrasts with what the CCF had said soon after her death, that she had never expressed any suicidal thoughts and was not on suicide watch.

If you need emotional support, you can call Richmond Malta’s helpline on 1770. In case of an emergency, get in touch on the free 24/7 crisis line (+356 9933 9966) or download the free Kriżi app for help. You may also call Mater Dei’s emergency service on 2545 3950. Alternatively, type OLLI.