Drug-Fuelled Violence On The Rise In Malta, Hotel Lobby Group Warns After Fatal Gżira Crash
Malta is witnessing a rise in drug-related violence and urgent action must be taken by the authorities to prevent the situation from spiralling out of control, one of Malta’s leading business lobby groups has warned.
The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) issued a strongly worded statement after Jeremie Camilleri fatally ran over 30-year-old Turkish woman Pelin Kaya in Gżira, reportedly while he was high on cocaine.
“Without prejudice to this case, MHRA is seriously concerned about what seems to be an increase in violence and accidents related to drug abuse in our community,” the statement read.
“Drugs are a curse to a healthy society and economy and must be addressed with the highest sense of urgency by the relevant authorities to avoid experiencing a drug epidemic.”
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“MHRA believes that there are enough indicators that merit a national debate to raise awareness about the issue and significantly increase action in curbing the use of illicit drugs across our society which is probably one of the main causes of mental health issues with all its negative repercussions.”
The MHRA urged the MCESD council of social partners to urgently discuss the issue and come up with a joint opinion on the way forward to propose to the government.
Camilleri was driving a BMW when he drove into a petrol station and the side of a KFC restaurant in Gżira at around 1am this morning.
The man reportedly became aggressive after he exited the crashed car, even with people who tried to check up on the female victim, as well as police officers who arrived on the scene.
Police officers needed to use their taser guns to get him under control. Camilleri is currently in police custody.
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