A Maltese court has given the green light for the extradition of a German mother wanted to face criminal proceedings in her homeland over an alleged arson attempt.
Suzanne Schumann’s saga before the Maltese courts kicked off last month following her arrest and arraignment on the strength of a European Arrest Warrant issued in October by a public prosecutor in Zwickau.
Maltese police tracked down the 50-year old mother, residing in Malta, following an alert on the Schengen Information System.
Upon her arraignment and all throughout the extradition proceedings, the frail-looking woman had voiced her fear about a possible threat to her life were she to be sent back to Germany.
The woman claimed that her allegedly influential former partner would find it easier to harm her if she were to be forced back to her homeland.
The court, presided over by magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech, though presented with all necessary evidence to deliver a pronouncement upholding the request of the German authorities, had delayed judgment until sufficient guarantee as to the woman’s security was forthcoming.
That guarantee was delivered by means of a formal communication received from a senior public prosecutor in Germany, assuring the woman’s safety.
In spite of this assurance, magistrate Frendo Dimech made a very strong recommendation to the competent German authorities to ensure that the woman’s safety was assured.
Since the offence allegedly committed by Ms Schumann was a scheduled one in terms of law, liable to a maximum jail term of 10 years, and since there were no bars to the extradition, the court upheld the request ordering the woman to be held in custody pending her departure which was not to take place before the lapse of seven days.
The woman had allegedly attempted to set fire to some stables, succeeding in burning down a window but exposing the owner to possible damages amounting to €20,000.
Inspector Chris Galea Scannura prosecuted, assisted by lawyer George Camilleri from the AG’s Office. Lawyer Yanika Camilleri was defence counsel.