‘Saddened by death of Lisa’
The police are not ruling out taking action against the injured man who was found next to the body of a 15-year-old girl at the foot of Dingli Cliffs, Times of Malta has learnt.
Actor and drama teacher Erin Tanti, 23, who was airlifted from the scene and is being treated at the hospital’s intensive therapy unit, is under constant police watch.
“We don’t want to lose any evidence nor do we want people to interfere in the situation – the police are by his bedside to ensure they know what’s going on all the time,” police sources said.
Mr Tanti and his student Lisa Marie Zahra – who had both been reported missing on Tuesday – travelled in a car together to Dingli Cliffs in the early hours of Wednesday and were found 12 hours later on the rocks some 40 metres below. Mr Tanti was alive and communicated with his rescuers, while Ms Zahra suffered fatal injuries.
Police are keeping all their options open at this stage. Under Maltese law it is an imprisonable offence to “assist” a person to take their own life, even if both parties intended to suffer the same fate.
The sources said: “This is not a case police are taking lightly... in this way they can ensure no valuable evidence or clues are overlooked.” Ms Zahra’s family has appealed for prudence following what it said were the inaccurate and premature statements made by some sections of the press giving the impression Mr Tanti was helping Ms Zahra in a difficult period of her life.
We don’t want to lose any evidence nor do we want people to interfere in the situation
“The cruel reality is that Lisa Marie was a vulnerable minor, at the age of 15, and Erin Tanti is a 23-year-old teacher with the relevant responsibilities that come with this role,” the family said.
Mr Tanti, who often went by the name of Erin Stuart Palmier, was taking part in the play Festen, which opened last weekend and is running again this weekend.
The play, an adaptation of the Danish film by the same name, is about long-submerged family secrets, suicide and sexual abuse.
Mr Tanti’s sister, Enya Stewart Tanti, yesterday extended its sympathy to the Zahra family on a note posted on her brother’s Facebook page. “I’d like to say that my family are also saddened by Lisa’s tragic death and our heart goes out to her family,” she wrote.
“When we thought we lost Erin, we were distraught, so I can only imagine the pain and suffering Lisa’s family are going through.
“Unfortunately, some people have been very insensitive towards my brother,” she added.
The Zahra family yesterday said that due to unforeseen circumstances the funeral of Lisa Marie, which was originally set for today, will be announced at a later date.
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