Days after the fatal car bomb in Buġibba, Eddie Attard recalls some of the most notorious bomb crimes in Malta’s history, going back to the earliest – which had religious motivations – and the first car bomb explosion in 1969.

Over the last 130 years, 11 people have been killed and numerous others wounded in explosions from more than 80 bombs planted outside residences, in cars and other places.

The first recorded blast of this kind took place on March 16, 1899, when a bomb went off outside the Mdina police station at about 9pm. It shattered some window panes, but no one was hurt. But it was the first of a series of similar incidents revolving around a parish dispute.

Some months earlier, the facade and bishop’s emblem at St Paul’s church in Rabat had been smeared with dirt during a feud between the Mdina Cathedral administration and the church’s. At the time, the Mdina parish included that of Rabat, in spite of the fact that the St Paul’s clergy and parishioners maintained that theirs was the first recognised parish church in the Maltese Islands.

However, the Ta’ Ġieżu parishioners preferred to remain part of the Mdina parish.

The rivalry between the locality’s two band clubs flared up, to the extent that St Paul’s was temporarily closed as a sign of protest. It seemed that the bomb had been planted out of revenge for the way the police had investigated the church facade vandalism.

Later that year, at about 11.15pm on May 11, a bomb planted below one of the Mdina bastions went off. It was said that the explosion was meant to frighten the bishop at his residence in Mdina. As the tensions escalated, in March 1900, a bomb was planted in front of Canon Ebejer’s residence. The explosion was heard from Żebbuġ, but little damage was caused.

Another bomb exploded at the door of the bishop’s palace in Valletta on the night of May 11, 1901. A few hours later, the police arrested Pawlu Debono and another man on suspicion they had planted the device. However, both suspects were released for lack of evidence and the case remained unsolved.

It was reported that Bishop Pietro Pace did not hear the sound of the blast and was told about it when he woke up.

These dreadful events led to the publication of a government notice offering a reward of one hundred pounds to any person who would give information leading to the conviction of the perpetrators of these and similar crimes in Mdina and Rabat over the previous three years.

At that time, the force had no designated detectives, so plainclothes policemen were detailed to patrol Mdina day and night in at attempt at prevention. The city gates were kept closed and guarded between sunset and sunrise. Policemen posing as street vendors were seen in the city, and the police escorted processions of the Viaticum, the sacrament of anointing the sick. However, after imposing these restrictions the police were accused of spying on citizens.

The police chief urged the bishop to find a peaceful solution to the dispute in order to restore peace in the localities

At the beginning of the 20th century, the police force, headed by Commander Clement La Primaudaye, was ill-prepared to meet these rising threats. So the police chief urged the bishop to find a peaceful solution to the dispute in order to restore peace in the localities.

After these bomb outrages, new offences regarding crimes against public safety and injury to property were included in the criminal code.

Eighteen years later, on July 25, a bomb was planted in front of the residence of Rev. Ġużeppi Barbara, parish priest of Kirkop. It was followed by another some minutes later in front of the residence of Giovanni Grixti, the sacristan of the parish church. Both cases remained unsolved.

The first car bomb went off on March 8, 1969, at about 9.45am in Cospicua Road, Paola. Emmanuel Micallef, 32, lost his life, and some passengers on a passing bus were injured. The case remained unsolved.

The first woman killed by a bomb was 31-year-old Josephine Formosa of Tarxien. On March 13, 1972, a bomb planted by her husband on the washing line on the roof of her residence exploded, causing fatal injuries to her abdomen. Her husband received a nine-year prison sentence after he was found guilty of causing bodily harm followed by death.

In July 1974, the police were faced with a new type of crime when two letter bombs were sent to two different addresses. Luckily, neither went off, and eventually a man from Żabbar was convicted of these crimes, as well as of causing bodily harmto four persons with other explosive devices.

Karin Grech was killed by a letter bomb.Karin Grech was killed by a letter bomb.

In one of the most notorious bomb explosions in Malta’s history, on December 28, 1977, 15-year old Karin Grech was killed when she opened a letter bomb addressed to her father, Professor Edwin Grech, then head of the  Obstetrics and Gynaecology  department at St Luke’s Hospital. Ten-year-old Kevin, Karin’s brother, was seriously injured by the blast.

On the same day, another letter bomb was sent to Dr Paul Chetcuti Caruana, a Labour Party MP, which, however, did not explode.

These letter bombs were sent at the time that the Medical Association of Malta had a trade union dispute with the government. Several people were interrogated by the police, but both cases remain unsolved.

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