Inquiry into Malta journalist's slaying blames state

An independent inquiry into the murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has found that the Maltese state “has to bear responsibility” for the assassination due the culture of impunity emanating from the highest levels of government

VALLETTA, Malta -- An independent inquiry into the murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia released on Thursday has found that the Maltese state “has to bear responsibility” for the assassination due the culture of impunity emanating from the highest levels of government. Caruana Galizia’s family had sought the inquiry into the Oct. 16, 2017 car bombing near the family home in Malta. The murder in the small EU country sent shockwaves felt not just in Malta, but throughout Europe. The inquiry found that there was no evidence that the state played a direct role in the assassination, but said the state “has to bear responsibility ... by creating an atmosphere of impunity, generated from the highest levels in the heart of the administration of (the prime minister's office) and, like an octopus, spread to other entities, like regulatory authorities and the police, leading to a collapse of the rule of law.” The report said the state and its entities failed to recognize the real risk to Caruana Galizia’s life, given the threats she had lived under, and also failed to take measures to avoid the risk, the report found.