UPDATED: "St Michael School Foundation said today that it had had no indication of any incidents, on or off the school premises, leading up to last week's tragedy where one of its students died and a supply (temporary) teacher was injured in a fall from Dingli Cliffs.
Lisa Marie Zahra, 15, was in the company of a supply teacher, Erin Tanti, 23, when they fell off Dingli Cliffs on Wednesday after being reported missing on Tuesday. She died on the scene while he was injured and is now being questioned by the police.
The girl's funeral will be held next Friday.It was originally scheduled to be held last Saturday, but was postponed after the court did not release the body, pending police investigations.
The foundation expressed its condolences to the Zahra family.
"Ms Zahra had been a student at St Michael Foundation from the age of 11. The Foundation, members of staff, fellow students and parents are in grief at her loss. She will be greatly missed," the foundation said.
"St Michael Foundation strictly adheres at all times to all procedures, rules and regulations stipulated by law in the engagement of its teachers and ensures that all teachers have the necessary approvals from the authorities.
It said the school works very closely with teachers, students and parents alike on a day to day basis.
"St Michael Foundation had no indication of any incidents, on or off the school premises, leading up to this tragedy."
It said it would not engage in speculation and called upon all members of staff and students to co-operate with the authorities.
"Respect for Ms Zahra’s memory requests nothing short of that."
The police are questioning Mr Tanti, a 23-year-old actor and drama teacher, at Mater Dei Hospital.
Mr Tanti is being kept under constant police surveillance to ensure no evidence is lost and that nobody interferes with the situation.
Police are keeping all options open at this stage. According to the Criminal Code it is an offence to “assist” a person to take their own life, even if both parties intended to suffer the same fate.
Mr Tanti and Ms Zahra, his student, 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, who often went by the name of Erin Stuart Palmier, was taking part in the play Festen. The play, an adaptation of the Danish film by the same name, is about long-submerged family secrets, suicide and sexual abuse.
The funeral will be held at the Carmelite Church in Valletta at 2pm.