Lisa Maria’s tragic death inspires family to take action

The tragic death of 15-year-old Lisa Maria Zahra has inspired her family to set up a non-profit organisation to create a safer environment for children and youth.

The launch of the Lisa Maria Foundation, set up by the teenager’s father, hotelier Tony Zahra, and her cousin, Winston J. Zahra, will be officially launched tomorrow Monday, although it is set against the background of the ongoing criminal charges against Erin Tanti, accused of having assisted in her suicide last March 18.

“As a family we had a choice: following the tragic death of my cousin we could either slip into a downward spiral of negativity or choose to create a beautiful legacy for Lisa Maria by doing something positive that will have a lasting effect on our society,” Winston J. Zahra told MaltaToday.

The Zahras opted to take action: “We want to create a safer environment for our children and youth in the future.”

Lisa Maria died tragically at Dingli Cliffs, having been driven there by Tanti, a substitute teacher at St Michael’s Foundation, where she attended school. At the time she was having a relationship with Tanti. According to the evidence presented in court, Zahra and Tanti may have planned a suicide pact.

“We want to help any institution with the duty of care for children and youth to ensure that they have an effective selection procedure for all personnel entrusted with the care of children and young people,” Winston J. Zahra told MaltaToday.

The foundation will be promoting a code of behaviour that prescribes the appropriate boundaries between adults and young people, and raise awareness and educate children, parents and all persons working with children and young people on the safe use of social media.

According to Lisa Maria’s cousin, the biggest danger facing children and youth today is “the apathy over eroding values in our society”. 

“A culture of ‘anything goes’ and ‘anything is acceptable’ with the excuse of allowing people freedom in anything and everything they do, without any clear boundaries, is having a profound affect on behavioural patterns,” he said.

The foundation will be working very closely with the Ministry of Education, the Malta Union of Teachers, the Council for the Teaching Profession, the University of Malta, the Sports Council and other bodies involved in the education sector in the country.

“The foundation has been established to ensure that adequate support is given to improve processes in future for the benefit of our children,” Winston J. Zahra added.

The foundation’s board members are former St Martin’s College headmaster Patrick Tabone, and professor of psychology Mary Anne Lauri. Tonio Pace is the foundation’s CEO.

“The board members and the CEO have significant experience in the education profession locally,” Zahra said.

Compilation continues

The Zahra tragedy unfolded a story of troubled youth and clues of complex teenage relationships. It transpired that Tanti, 23, had been in a relationship with the 15-year-old student while teaching drama at St Michael Foundation, where he had been drafted in as a supply teacher.

Zahra was yet to take her ‘O’ levels, but against the image of a promising life ahead of her, is court evidence on her self-harm and online behaviour. Her username for her personal Tumblr account was ‘redrum’, the plot device used in Stephen King’s novel The Shining, and at home, it was revealed that she stashed a razor blade inside a soft toy, ostensibly used for self-harming.

Tanti is being charged with causing Zahra's death; assisting in her suicide; corruption and defilement of a minor; abuse of his position of trust; misuse of technology; and possession of indecent material involving minors.