Mother held over woman’s murder

The mother of a Russian woman found dead in Xemxija was under arrest last night in the year’s first murder case.

The body of Yulia Kalinina, 28, was discovered by neighbours yesterday morning in an apartment shared by the mother, nearly two days after having been suffocated.

In the afternoon the police said the mother, in her 50s, was not being considered a suspect but just “a person of interest to the police investigations”. Later, police sources said she had been held for questioning and was still in custody last night.

The woman was at the apartment where her dead daughter’s corpse lay when the police arrived on the scene after receiving a call from neighbours.

Assistant Commissioner Pierre Calleja told a crime conference in the afternoon that the apartment was “disturbed”, with broken glass and other items strewn on the floor. This, he said, were signs that a struggle had taken place and an indication there had been some kind of argument.

The victim, wearing clothes she would normally wear for the home, was found lying on the floor close to the sofa. She had injuries to her legs and arms but they were old and were probably not related to the struggle with her assailant, he said.

An autopsy revealed that Ms Kalinina had been suffocated by someone who covered her mouth and nose. It has not yet been established whether a cushion or some other item was used.

Mother and daughter lived in an apartment at Mariners’ Court in Dawret in-Nawfraġju.

Ms Kalinina has been living in Malta for several years but spent the last couple of years in the UK before returning to Malta. Last September she filed an application with the immigration authorities to be given a permit to live here.

She was discovered dead by neighbours who usually help the pair around the house. They reported the matter to the police at 9.20 a.m.

It was not specified whether the mother was there when the neighbours discovered the corpse but Mr Calleja said she was in the apartment when the police arrived some time later.

Mr Calleja said investigators were still trying to establish who Ms Kalinina was last seen with and were examining evidence that could help them find out, including CCTV footage from near the apartment.

Duty magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona was informed about the case. He appointed a number of court experts to assist him with his inquiry.