Daphne Caruana Galizia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Daphne Caruana Galizia
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| Born |
Daphne Anne Vella
26 August 1964 Sliema, Crown Colony of Malta
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| Died | 16 October 2017 (aged 53) Bidnija, Malta
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| Cause of death | Assassination (car bomb attack) |
| Alma mater | University of Malta |
| Years active | 1987–2017 |
| Spouse(s) |
Peter Caruana Galizia
(m. 1985) |
| Children | 3 |
Daphne Anne Caruana Galizia (born Vella; 26 August 1964 – 16 October 2017) was a brave Maltese writer, journalist, and blogger. She was known for speaking out against corruption. She reported on important political events in Malta. She became famous around the world for her investigations into the Panama Papers. Sadly, she was killed by a car bomb.
Daphne focused on finding out hidden truths. She wrote about government corruption, where people in power might give jobs to family or friends. She also looked into claims of money laundering. This is when illegally earned money is made to look like it came from legal sources. She also investigated links between Malta's online gaming industry and organized crime. She wrote about Malta's program that allowed people to buy citizenship. She also looked into payments from the government of Azerbaijan. Daphne became well-known for regularly reporting on bad behavior by politicians and powerful people in Malta.
Daphne Caruana Galizia kept writing for many years. She did this even though she faced threats and lawsuits. The Malta Police Force arrested her twice. She published her investigations on her personal blog, Running Commentary, which she started in 2008. She also wrote regularly for The Sunday Times of Malta and The Malta Independent. Her blog shared her investigative reports and comments. Some of her writings were seen as personal attacks, which led to legal challenges. In 2016 and 2017, she shared very sensitive information. These included claims about several Maltese politicians and the Panama Papers scandal.
On 16 October 2017, Daphne Caruana Galizia died near her home. A car bomb exploded inside her vehicle. This attack caused a lot of anger and sadness both in Malta and around the world. In December 2017, three men were arrested in connection with the car bomb attack. Police later arrested Yorgen Fenech, the owner of a company called 17 Black, on his yacht on 20 November 2019. This arrest was also connected to her murder.
In April 2018, a group of 45 journalists from different countries worked together. They started The Daphne Project. Their goal was to finish her important investigative work. In 2018, the GUE/NGL Award for Journalists was created in her honor. This award celebrates journalists, whistleblowers, and people who defend the right to information.
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Early Life and Learning
Daphne Anne Vella was born on 26 August 1964. Her birthplace was Tower Road in Sliema, Malta. She was the oldest of four sisters. Her parents were Michael Alfred Vella, a businessman, and Rose Marie Vella. Daphne went to St Dorothy's Convent in Mdina. She also studied at St Aloysius' College, Birkirkara. Later, she attended the University of Malta. She earned a degree in Archaeology with a focus on Anthropology in 1997. She was even on the Dean's List in 1996, which means she did very well.
Daphne became interested in politics when she was a teenager. When she was 18, she was arrested after joining anti-government protests. The police officer who arrested her, Angelo Farrugia, later became the Speaker of the Maltese Parliament.
In 1985, she married Peter Caruana Galizia, who was a lawyer. They had three sons: Matthew, Andrew, and Paul. Matthew later became a member of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. In 1990, the family moved from Sliema to Bidnija. This is a small village near Mosta.
Her Work as a Journalist
Daphne Caruana Galizia started working as a news reporter in 1987. She worked for The Sunday Times of Malta. From 1990 to 1992, and again from 1993 to 1996, she wrote a regular column for the newspaper. In 1992, she became an associate editor at The Malta Independent. She continued to write columns for that newspaper and The Malta Independent on Sunday for the rest of her life. She also worked in media and public relations.
Daphne was also the first editor of Taste and Flair. These were monthly lifestyle magazines. They were given out with The Malta Independent on Sunday. In July 2014, the magazines combined into one called Taste&Flair. Daphne remained its editor until she passed away. Today, Taste&Flair is published by The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation.
In March 2008, she started her blog called Running Commentary. On her blog, she shared investigative reports and comments on current events. She also wrote about public figures. Her blog became one of the most popular websites in Malta. It often had over 400,000 views. This was more than all the country's newspapers combined.
Daphne faced many threats because of her work and opinions. Her son, Matthew, said that threats happened almost every day. These threats came in phone calls, letters, notes left at her door, text messages, emails, and comments on her blog.
On 8 March 2013, Daphne Caruana Galizia was arrested. This happened because she broke a rule about political silence. She posted videos making fun of Joseph Muscat the day before the 2013 general election. The police questioned her, but she was released after a few hours. In November 2010, she commented on the preservation of Villa Guardamangia. This was an early home of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Because of this, The Daily Telegraph newspaper called Daphne the top commentator in Malta.
In 2016, Daphne questioned how a British millionaire named Paul Golding bought Palazzo Nasciaro in Naxxar. From mid-2017, Daphne became a strong critic of the new leader of the Nationalist opposition, Adrian Delia.
Investigating the Panama Papers
On 22 February 2016, Daphne Caruana Galizia's blog, Running Commentary, reported something important. She said that Maltese government minister Konrad Mizzi had connections to Panama and New Zealand. Because of this, the minister had to admit two days later that he had a trust registered in New Zealand. He said it was to manage his family's money. On 25 February, Daphne revealed that Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's chief of staff, Keith Schembri, also owned a similar trust in New Zealand. This trust, in turn, held a company in Panama.
In April 2016, a huge leak of secret documents happened. This was known as the Panama Papers. These papers confirmed that Mizzi owned a Panama company called Hearnville Inc. They also showed that Mizzi and Schembri had started another company, Tillgate Inc. These companies were partly owned by Orion Trust New Zealand Limited. This was the same company that managed Mizzi's and Schembri's trusts in New Zealand. Daphne was the first person to share the news about Mizzi's and Schembri's involvement in Panama. Because of this, Politico magazine named her one of "28 people who are shaping, shaking and stirring Europe." The magazine described her as a "one-woman WikiLeaks." They said she was fighting against secrecy and corruption in Malta.
In 2017, she claimed that another Panama company, Egrant, was owned by Michelle Muscat. Michelle is the wife of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. Prime Minister Muscat said that these claims were why he called the June 2017 general elections almost a year early. His Labour Party won the election and stayed in power. However, Daphne Caruana Galizia pointed out that an early election had already been planned.
On 20 November 2019, police arrested Yorgen Fenech. He owned a company in Dubai called 17 Black. This company had been part of Daphne's investigative work on the Panama Papers. It was linked to Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi. These two, along with another cabinet member, Chris Cardona, resigned from their government jobs on 26 November. Schembri was arrested, but then released two days later. This led to many people protesting in the streets of Valletta. From 20 November, crowds had been asking Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to resign. This happened after he said he might pardon a "middleman" in the murder case.
Her Death
On 16 October 2017, Daphne Caruana Galizia was driving near her home in Bidnija. A car bomb had been placed in her leased Peugeot 108. It exploded, killing her instantly. The explosion happened on Triq il-Bidnija (Bidnija Road). The car was torn into many pieces and scattered across nearby fields.
Her Funeral
Daphne Caruana Galizia's body was released for burial on 27 October 2017. A public funeral was held on 3 November 2017 at the Rotunda of Mosta. Thousands of people attended the funeral to pay their respects. That day was observed as a national day of mourning in Malta. Charles Scicluna, the Archbishop of Malta, led the funeral mass. In his speech, he told journalists "never to grow weary in your mission to be the eyes, the ears, and the mouth of the people."
President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca and Prime Minister Joseph Muscat did not attend the funeral. They said that Daphne's family made it clear they were not welcome. The Leader of the Opposition, Adrian Delia, was also not there.
Many important officials attended the funeral. These included Silvio Camilleri, the Chief Justice of Malta. Also present were Antonio Tajani, President of the European Parliament, and Harlem Désir, a representative for freedom of the media. Former President of Malta, Eddie Fenech Adami, and former Prime Minister, Lawrence Gonzi, were also there. Simon Busuttil, a former leader of the Nationalist Party, also attended.
Daphne Caruana Galizia was buried in her family's grave. This is at the Santa Maria Addolorata Cemetery in Paola. This is Malta's largest burial ground.
Awards and Honors After Her Death
After her death, Daphne Caruana Galizia received many awards and honors. These recognized her courage and her important work as a journalist.
- The press room in the European Parliament Building in Strasbourg, France, was named "Salle Daphne Caruana Galizia" in November 2017.
- She received the Premio Leali delle Notizie award in Italy in November 2017.
- She was awarded the Holme Award and the Reporter Preis in December 2017.
- The Tuscan Regional Council in Italy gave her the Pegaso d'Argento award.
- She was named "Person of the Year" by La Repubblica in Italy in December 2017.
- She received the Tully Award for Free Speech in the USA in April 2018.
- The Anna Politkovskaya Award was given to her by the Swedish National Press Club in April 2018.
- The American Society of Journalists and Authors awarded her the Conscience-in-Media Award in May 2018.
- The GUE/NGL Award for Journalists, Whistleblowers and Defenders of the Right to Information was dedicated to her in 2018.
- Her name was added to the Newseum Memorial in Washington D.C., USA, in June 2018.
- She received the Anti-Corruption Award from Transparency International in October 2018.
- The Rory Peck Trust awarded her the Martin Adler Prize in November 2018.
- She received the Golden Victoria for Press Freedom in Germany in November 2018.
- The Allard Prize for International Integrity was awarded to her in October 2020.
- A memorial monument was placed in Iveagh Gardens, Dublin, in December 2020.
See also
- 2019 Malta political crisis
- Ján Kuciak
- Frank Schneider (spy) § Sandstone
