The family of Karin Grech, who was killed by a letter bomb more than three decades ago, were awarded €420,000 in compensation after a court ruled that the “cowardly” crime was a consequence of her father’s work with the government during a politically turbulent time.

The court also ruled the government had discriminated against the Grechs by not granting them ex gratia compensation that was extended to other victims of lesser crimes.

“I’m very pleased with the judgment. It’s not about the amount of money,” the father of then 15-year-old Karin, Edwin Grech, said.

“The crime against my daughter and the attack on my family was finally declared by a court as having had a medico-political motive. It’s also been proven that I was discriminated against...

“The important thing is the principle and that this (judgment) leads to the case being solved, eventually. And I know it can be solved,” he said.

Refusing to give more details, he added: “It will take some more time to get there but we’ll get there... The murder was carried out by Maltese, by my brethren. I haven’t forgotten and my family will never forget that.”

Prof. Grech, his wife Pearl and their son Kevin had filed an application in the First Hall of the Civil Court, in its constitutional ­jurisdiction, against the Prime Minister.

The family explained how, in August 1977, Prof. Grech was working as an obstetrics and gynaecology consultant in the UK. At the time, there was a doctors’ strike in Malta as a result of disagreement between the government and the Malta Medical Association. The government asked Prof. Grech to return to Malta to head the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department at St Luke’s Hospital. He agreed to return until the industrial dispute was over, in the best interest of patients.

Three months after Prof. Grech returned to Malta, on December 28, 1977, a large brown envelope addressed to him was delivered to his house. Inside was a pen-box shaped parcel in Christmas wrapping paper.

His daughter – who was in Malta from her UK school for the Christmas holidays – eagerly opened the parcel that exploded in her hands. She died in hospital and her brother, who was near her, had to be operated upon.

It is believed the bomb was sent to Prof. Grech because he was considered to be a strike breaker.

A similar letter bomb was sent to general practitioner Paul Chetcuti Caruana but this did not go off.

The murder remained unsolved and the magisterial inquiry is still open.

The Grechs pointed out that the tragedy was a consequence of the fact that Prof. Grech worked with the government. They had asked for compensation from the government but did not manage to reach an amicable settlement.

They pointed out that, over the years, the government granted voluntary compensations to victims of crime on several occasions.

The Grechs called on the court to rule that Karin’s murder was a consequence of the service Prof. Grech gave to the government and that the government had discriminated against them in not granting them compensation.

The Prime Minister noted he appreciated the sensitive nature of the case and could understand the frustration as the murder remained unsolved. He argued that, given that the case was not solved, it was impossible for the motive to be known and so it could not be established that it was a medico-political issue that led to the crime.

Rejecting the discrimination claim, the Prime Minister questioned why the Grechs had waited almost 30 years to claim compensation through an urgent constitutional case.

The presiding judge, Mr Justice Ray Pace heard that, once the court case started, the government had offered a settlement of €200,000 that was turned down.

The court also noted that, at the time of the murder, there was no law regulating compensation to people who became victims of crime when rendering a service to the government.

However, the government had given several hand-outs through schemes, similar to ad hoc payments.

A memorandum entitled Compensations By Government To Victims Of Crime From 1990, dated April 2009, showed that 127 such compensations were granted. Eight cases involved fatalities and included the case of Nardu Debono who was murdered in the police headquarters in the 1980s. Former Police Commissioner Lawrence Pullicino was convicted for complicity in his death.

Other cases granted compensation included the attempted murders of Richard Cachia Caruana, who at the time was Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami’s personal assistant, and the political frame-up of Peter Paul Busuttil.

Deciding on compensation, the court noted that Mr Debono’s heirs had been awarded €379,400. The court pointed out that, unlike Mr Debono’s heirs, the Grechs did not have closure as the perpetrator had not been brought to ­justice.

The court ruled that the attack on the Grechs and Karin’s murder was the result of Prof. Grech’s ­service to the government and that the family had been discrim-inated against. The judge awarded them €419,287 in compensation.

The government has 20 days within which to appeal the judgment. Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday told journalists in Libya the government was still deciding whether to appeal.

Lawyers Emanuel Mallia and Alex Perici Calascione appeared for the Grechs.