A high-risk assessment was ignored. A victim’s safety was dismissed. The decision could have fatal consequences.
Magistrate Kevan Azzopardi must answer for a reckless decision that flies in the face of domestic violence protocol — a decision that left a vulnerable woman exposed to further harm.
Robert Aquilina — a notary for the Archdiocese of Malta — was interrogated for several hours by the Domestic Violence Unit after his wife filed a report against him, alleging repeated abuse and culminating in a physical assault last Friday.
As per standard domestic violence procedure, a formal risk assessment was carried out.
The result: the level of risk to the victim’s life was deemed to be high risk and extremely worrying.
Despite this, Magistrate Azzopardi, who was the Duty Magistrate at the time, refused to order Aquilina’s arrest, a decision that breaks with established practice and raises serious concerns about institutional accountability.
Key Questions the Magistrate Must Answer
This newsroom is compelled to ask the questions that matter:
• Did you speak to the victim before making your decision, Magistrate Azzopardi?
• Were you fully aware of the high-risk classification?
• Did you consider the real and immediate danger the victim faced when you allowed the alleged aggressor to walk free?
When someone is assessed to be at high risk of serious harm or death, inaction is not neutral — it is negligent.
The System Cannot Ignore This
The judiciary exists to protect the vulnerable, not shield the powerful. Robert Aquilina’s position within the Church does not make him untouchable — and it certainly does not justify ignoring police risk assessments designed to prevent domestic tragedy.
If what no one wants were to happen, the responsibility would not lie solely with the aggressor, it would lie with those who enabled him.
We Will Not Be Silenced
This portal will continue to demand accountability from public officials and judicial authorities who fail to uphold their duty of care.
We will not be silenced, and we will not allow this case to be quietly buried.
Magistrate Kevan Azzopardi must answer for his decision. The public has a right to know — and the victim has a right to be protected.
