Four years on - Arsonists remain unknown

Police investigations into a number of arson attacks carried out several years ago have so far yielded no results.

A probe into a series of attacks in 2005 and 2006, which were believed to have targeted individuals and organisations that had spoken out against racism, had not uncovered the offenders, police told The Sunday Times.

"Please note that the investigations conducted into all mentioned cases have so far yielded negative results. Investigations are still in progress," the police said in reply to questions sent enquiring about the outcome of investigations into a series of incidents.

The police added: "However, it seems that these types of cases have been controlled and stopped. Hence no other similar motivated crimes have since been committed."

It remains unclear what action the police have taken to bring such crimes under control, since the arsonists have never been caught.

The Jesuit community, whose refugee service seeks to serve and defend the rights of asylum seekers who arrive in Malta, was the biggest victim of the attacks.

On March 13, 2006, seven cars belonging to the Jesuits were burnt down during the night, just a few days after the launch of the Report on Racism and Xenophobia in Malta by the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia.

On April 11, a Jesuit Refugee Service lawyer's front door in Sliema was torched and her car destroyed. Two cars belonging to a Jesuit Community resident at Dar Manuel Magri in Msida were set alight in November 2005.

In early March 2006, the front door of a poet's home was subject to an arson attack just a few days after he launched a book containing poetry which promoted tolerance and refugee rights.

In May 2006, arsonists had also targeted two journalists who had written about racism, immigration and the extreme right.

The Sunday Times reported last week that only four people were charged with offences connected with racism in the past 10 years, a figure described as "shocking" by Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil.

Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici insisted, however, that the authorities had taken the necessary steps whenever reports related to racist crimes were filed.

A new law came into effect last year laying down clear definitions for racist-related crimes, and raised and introduced new penalties. Nobody has been charged with racist crimes since the regulations came into force.