A Maltese youth who spent two weeks in a coma at the age of 18 and left permanently injured after being run over by a car while out jogging has vowed to keep fighting for justice after courts ruled the 64-year-old driver who struck him was not guilty.

In a shocking dereliction of duty, the Maltese courts let driver Raymond Camilleri go scot-free after concluding the charges against him – driving dangerously and running over a person with their car – were time-barred. 

Matteo Grima took to social media to express his disappointment in the failure of the courts to hold to account a man who changed his life forever.

“I don’t know how this country can be any more shameful. This is justice… failed justice, where anyone can do whatever they please.”

“To drop a criminal case simply because two years passed since the incident is the biggest myth I ever heard of. And what fault do I have over the incompetent Maltese courts calling the accused last year, and not earlier?”

“As I remained resilient over these last three years, I will continue to stay strong and fight for justice.”

The case goes back to April 2020, when Camilleri struck Grima, who is from Mtarfa, while out for a jog. The incident left him with a titanium plate installed to replace one third of his skull which was lost in the incident.

“I was jogging, when suddenly I don’t know what happened and I woke up in hospital. I did a number of operations, and a third of my head was basically out…” Grima had told TVM after recovering.

After recovering, he had used his story to spread a message of never giving up. He now coaches football with Balzan FC and has a budding career in architecture – determined on not letting this incident stop him from achieving what he wants.

With the latest fumble from Malta’s courts, it seems Grima will have to continue fighting for justice and truly show his perseverance in the face of injustice