‘When Will We Take Domestic Violence Seriously?’ Murdered Woman’s Daughter Asks After Bernice Cassar Killing
A Maltese woman whose mother was killed by her ex-boyfriend 12 years ago has urged the nation to wake up to the ugly realities of domestic violence, warning that Bernice Cassar won’t be the last victim.
“Another tragedy as a result of spite and dominance and the words that remain implanted in my mind – ‘if she can’t be mine, then she can’t belong to anyone. Domestic violence. I feel hurt because society has failed again,” Caricia Pisani Sammut said. “My heart is broken and I can perfectly understand what [Cassar’s] family is going through.”
“I didn’t know you Bernice, but we were friends on Facebook and perhaps you had added me as a friend after you read about the case of my dear mother. You were going through everything we had gone through ourselves and no one listened to you.”
Pisani Sammut’s mother Christine Sammut was shot at point-blank range by her ex-boyfriend Kenneth Gafà in 2010. Gafà pleaded guilty to the murder and in 2015 was given a 35-year prison sentence.
Pisani Sammut questioned the adequacy of the authorities’ response to Cassar’s repeated pleas for help and action against her estranged husband, noting that Roderick Cassar still managed to track her down, beat her up and shoot her despite a court-imposed protection order.
Meanwhile, although police had charged Roderick Cassar with domestic violence, the first sitting of the case was only scheduled for November 2023.
“Another woman and she won’t be the last,” Pisani Sammut said. “Her children have ended up orphans as I did. If you are reading this post and you’re passing through what Bernice passed through, know that love isn’t painful and controlling. Leave or seek help and speak out, or the fear you are feeling could become reality.”
Cover photos: Left: Bernice Cassar, Right: Caricia Pisani Sammut (Photos – Facebook)
What action should Malta take to combat domestic violence?