Relatives of a woman found strangled in her home on Saturday morning have turned to the public for help to fund a proper funeral.
The relatives want to give Lourdes Agius a deserving farewell but it is a financial burden they ill afford, the Women’s Rights Foundation said.
“We are therefore calling upon you to help with costs related to funeral and other needs that her family may encounter. We appeal to public to help us support Lourdes and her family in these horrible times,” the foundation said.
It also announced that the family had engaged Women’s Rights Foundation to represent their interest in criminal proceedings against the alleged murderer.
“We promise to ensure that justice is served and her voice never forgotten,” the foundation said.
The lifeless body of Ms Agius, who had her sixth baby just a few weeks ago, was found with heavy bruising around her throat in the early hours of Saturday morning by her mother. Investigators say the state of the body indicated Ms Agius had been strangled.
A 28-year-old man from the Ivory Coast, Michael Emmanuel, has been charged with the murder of his 35-year-old partner in a case investigators believe is linked to domestic violence.
He stands charged with killing Ms Agius with whom he has three children and has shared a home for the past three years.
Mr Emmanuel, a painter-plasterer, had on different occasions in recent months inflicted bodily and mental harm to both Ms Agius and her 64-year-old mother Maria, the court heard.
Neighbours said the grieving mother had ran out onto the street at around 6am on Saturday, frantically screaming for help upon discovering her daughter’s lifeless body in their second-floor apartment on Triq F. Tortell in Paola.
The case has caught the attention of human rights activists who have lamented how a lack of laws and safeguarding meant victims of domestic violence were often not adequately protected. The foundation has set up a dedicated account with BOV to collect funds for Ms Agius’s funeral.
Bank of Valletta, account owner: Women’s Rights Foundation. Account number: 40023622360. Iban number: MT95VALL22013000000040023622360
Alternatively, donations can be made via WRF’s Paypal account (info@wrf.org.mt), with the transaction details clearly labelled: Lourdes Agius via the donate button on www.wrf.org.mt.