Accused, Erin Tanti, 23, pleads not guilty

Family: charges are clear, unequivocal

Erin Tanti arrives at court for his arraignment. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Drama teacher Erin Tanti was yesterday charged with murdering his 15-year-old student Lisa Maria Zahra and assisting her suicide, two weeks after they were both found at Dingli Cliffs.

In a packed courtroom, heaving with family members of both sides, reporters, lawyers and one or two curious members of the public, Mr Tanti, 23, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Rescuers found the two in Dingli on March 19 after they had been reported missing the previous day. A passer-by spotted Mr Tanti calling for help and called the authorities for assistance. Ms Zahra was found dead on site.

Dressed in a dark blue suit, Mr Tanti spoke only to confirm his particulars and his profession before denying the charges of murder, assisting the girl’s suicide, defiling her and participating in sexual acts with her, as well as being in possession of indecent images of her.

Ms Zahra’s father, Tony, sat behind his team of heavyweight lawyers Giannella de Marco, Joe Giglio, Steve Tonna Lowell and Reuben Farrugia, while the rest of the family listened intently from the public gallery just behind Mr Tanti, who sat in the dock next to his parents.

Despite injuring himself at the cliffs and spending time in intensive care, Mr Tanti walked into the courtroom unaided.

He was also given a clean bill of health certificate by Mount Carmel psychiatric hospital before he was interrogated by the police.

Lisa Maria Zahra, 15, who died after falling from Dingli Cliffs.

Defence lawyers Michael and Lucio Sciriha told Magistrate Doreen Clarke Mr Tanti had made numerous phone calls to the government social agency Appoġġ for help before the tragedy.

Dr Sciriha made the comment as he asked the magistrate to nominate psychiatrist Anton Grech as an expert to the court, since he had treated Mr Tanti in the past.

He also asked for Mr Tanti to be kept at Mount Carmel for treatment as he had done over the past 15 days.

Prisons director to decide where he should be kept

However, Magistrate Clarke said it would be up to the prisons director to decide whether he should be kept at Corradino Prison or at Mount Carmel.

Taking the witness stand, Police Inspector Keith Arnaud, who was assisted by inspectors Josric Mifsud and Sylvana Briffa, read out the charges on oath.

Asked to qualify why Mr Tanti was arraigned under arrest, the inspector said he was arrested the day he was found on suspicion of murder and aiding the girl’s suicide.

On March 27, an arrest warrant was issued and he was released from Mount Carmel two days ago, with a certificate stating he had a clean bill of health.

He was arrested and interrogated until his arraignment. Magistrate Clarke declared his arrest valid. The court case will now be assigned to another magistrate at random as is standard procedure and the date for the first sitting will be set within two weeks.