Isabelle Bonnici, Jean Paul Sofia’s mother, has publicly criticised the placement of a counter-protest banner that partially hid her son’s banner in front of Parliament in Valletta.

In a heartfelt message, she questioned whether the banner’s positioning was intentional, suggesting an unwillingness to confront the negligence and systemic failures that led to her son’s tragic death.

“You could have moved it to the side so my son’s face wouldn’t be covered! Or is it that you can’t even bear to look at him because he reminds you of the bullies and cowboys who were allowed to do as they pleased and killed an innocent young man?” she wrote on social media. 

Bonnici continued by urging those responsible to adjust the banner, allowing her son’s face to be fully visible.

The banner, which calls for justice for Jean Paul Sofia, has become a symbol of Bonnici’s unyielding fight for justice for her son.

Since her son’s death in a construction site collapse in December 2022, she has emerged as a powerful voice for justice and accountability, particularly within Malta’s construction sector.

Bonnici’s persistence has not gone unnoticed. In October 2023, she was honoured with the Mvintage Woman of the Year award for her courage and dedication to justice.

Her fight has been marked by deeply emotional moments, including a dramatic encounter in Parliament where she confronted Prime Minister Robert Abela, pleading for a public inquiry into her son’s death.

The recent incident comes as a counter protest to the Nationalist Party’s latest protest, with the banner in question presumably put in place by Labour supporters.

What do you make of Isabelle’s call?