Updated | Mother stabbed by former partner, in danger of dying

Updated with the latest details

Another case of domestic violence unfolded early this morning in Xagħra when a man stabbed his former partner in the head with a six-inch screwdriver.

The couple were separated from each other.

The woman, 48 and a mother of one, was brought to Malta from Gozo by a helicopter of the Armed Forces and rushed to Mater Dei Hospital, where she was certified to be in danger of dying.

The victim has been identified as Silvia Zammit.

Sources said her estranged partner had stormed into the apartment after breaking down the door.

The woman called the parish priest for help, who in turn contacted the police.

But in the altercation, she was stabbed in the neck behind her ears with a screwdriver. The gravity of the attack was such that she had to be urgently operated upon at Mater Dei Hospital to remove the screwdriver.

Updated at 16:17 The attacker was arrested by the police at a bus stop, when mobile squad officers noticed the man with a small boy who was not wearing any shoes. The man, noticing the approaching police car, attempted to hide behind the bus stop. Police however noted that the man’s hands and trousers were covered in blood, and proceeded to arrest him. They said the man also gave them a false name when asked to identify himself.

MaltaToday is informed that the man fled from the scene of crime with their 10-year-old son, but is now in police custody.

It is understood that the stabbing occurred just after 7:20am in a flat in Xagħra where the woman was staying. Although investigations are at an early stage, it is believed that the woman was in Gozo only for the weekend, and that the man sought her out, when an argument ensued.

A magisterial inquiry is in progress. Police Inspector Frank Tabone is investigating the attempted murder.