‘She should be here’: Sister of murder victim Chantelle Chetcuti speaks out on delayed justice

On what would have been Chantelle Chetcuti’s 40th birthday, her sister Stacey Camilleri condemned the prolonged delays in bringing her killer to trial.

Chetcuti was brutally stabbed to death in a street in Żabbar in February 2020. Her killer confessed to the crime and was arrested shortly after, but was granted bail just eight months later. More than five years on, the case has yet to be heard in court.

In a Facebook post titled “She Should Be Here”, Camilleri lamented the lack of justice for her sister and her children.

“Every birthday she misses is another year the Maltese courts tell her children their mother’s life did not matter, and another year those in power choose not to put it right” she wrote.

“If a man who confessed to killing can walk free for years then justice in Malta is not delayed. It is denied.”

Camilleri described the years-long delay as not just a legal failure, but a societal one that undermines trust in the justice system and places other women at risk.

“This is no longer private grief. It is public failure. It is about the safety of every woman, every family, every one of us,” she said.

She also recalled that the accused had been reported for domestic violence last year, yet remained free. “When justice takes this long it sends a clear message that you can kill, abuse or destroy and the system will still give you years of freedom,” she added.

Closing her post with a tribute to her sister, Camilleri wrote: “On what should have been her 40th birthday, Chantelle is still waiting for justice to finally rest in peace. Her life was stolen. His freedom is gifted. Is this the court’s idea of justice?”