Doctor and ex-MP Josie Muscat to face charges over aiding inmate artificially inseminate partner

Doctor and former MP Josie Muscat is expected to face criminal charges for allegedly assisting convicted murderer Erin Tanti carry out an artificial insemination procedure involving Tanti’s partner.

Muscat, who founded and chairs Saint James Hospital, is believed to have carried out the insemination at his clinic, according to the Times of Malta. The procedure reportedly allowed Tanti and his partner to conceive a child.

Tanti is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for the 2014 murder of teenager Lisa Maria Zahra. 

In 2019, Tanti, who was a teacher, admitted to the wilful homicide of Lisa Maria Zahra, daughter of hotelier Tony Zahra. The 15-year-old died in what was believed to have been a suicide pact when she fell from Dingli cliffs in March 2014.

In May, both he and his partner were arrested amid suspicions that their artificial insemination procedure may have breached Malta’s embryo protection laws. Tanti’s partner is expected to give birth within the coming weeks.

Investigations suggest that a prison medical official was involved in smuggling Tanti’s semen out of jail to be delivered to the clinic. That prison doctor has since been suspended.

Last week, Tanti and his partner submitted a judicial protest, alleging their right to family life was violated. Tanti claimed they were initially given the go-ahead for the procedure and told that their parental rights would be respected.

Tanti’s relationship with his partner began before his conviction while he was out on bail.

Tanti was indicted for wilful homicide, assisting a person to commit suicide, participation in sexual activities with a vulnerable, underage person to whom he was an authority figure, as well as creating and possession of indecent images of the underage girl. However, as the charge of assisting suicide was added as an alternative to the wilful homicide charge, it was dropped by the prosecution.

Tanti faced a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and lengthy sentences of up to 40 years for the other charges. It is understood that the accused's lawyer brokered a plea bargain in which the accused would plead guilty in return for a sentence of 20 years.