Pearl Vella Haber recounts abuse at hands of footballer brother: 'I faced my greatest bully'

Pearl writes that the straw that broke the camel’s back was an incident in 2014, when she did not bring him a drink from upstairs, which led to him trying to strangle her. She notes that the incident came up in court but he belittled the event and claimed that she overreacted. 

“When I reported it, my parents kicked me out of the house,” she says, adding that her mother even asked for her house keys. The situation eventually led her into depression, but Pearl said that she did her best to rebuild her life.

“Still, I could never forget 2014. I could never forget being punished for speaking up.”

Then in January 2025, Pearl states that she received the now-viral voice message that was unprovoked and two months later he posted a video of her on social media. “This is not drama. This is a pattern. This is the truth. And I refuse to be silent anymore.”

She describes how she has been shunned by her own parents in court, as her father walked past her without acknowledging her.

“To those commenting “X’għaġeb” under news articles and belittling my story — ask yourselves what message you’re sending to your daughters. That threats and emotional abuse are fine, as long as the abuser is charming? Talented? Popular?”

Haber’s guilty verdict is also a point of discussion within the Labour Party, who told MaltaToday that the party has spoken to both the victim and the abuser and are treating the case delicately.

Haber is no stranger to the justice system. In 2023 he was ordered to pay €12,015, and his company, Haber 16 Ltd another €10,811, to a company that held a stake in his restaurant venture.