Malta - Lisa Zahra, 15, dies in 'suicide pact' with teacher, Dingli, 19 March 2014

There is a hugely emotive and high profile murder case going on in the small Island of Malta right now. Here is a short summary of the absolutely tragic case so far;

23 year-old male teacher Erin Tanti had a four-month sexual relationship with 15 year-old schoolgirl Lisa Maria Zahra. March 18th this year, the Zahra family handyman discovered Tanti spent the night with Lisa Maria, and told her Dad Anthony (who was overseas). Dad began rushing back, while older brother Nicholas filed a police report.

For five hours that night, Erin and Lisa texted each other. Tanti said he'd stab himself if they were parted; Lisa told him to calm down. Tanti eventually drove back to Lisa's house, picked her up and drove to Dingle cliffs. He had €3,000 ( $4,000) cash on him, and his passport. Here's the heartbreaker:

'The two drank half a bottle of whisky and ingested the contents of three packets of aspirin, found inside Tanti’s car by police.
Zahra was said to have jumped off the cliffs at 4am. Tanti told the police that he tried to stop her from jumping, after she insisted over the course of the night that she would kill herself. “She was sure of wanting to die. I told her that it was not right, and she called me a coward… I wanted a slower death so that we spend our last moments together.” '

Eventually, Tanti says he followed the teen down, but luckily landed on a rock, where he esaped serious injury and was rescued. Young Lisa Maria died.

There's much more, including Tanti's defence blaming teen Lisa as the instigator of the 'suicide', and Tanti's former friend describing him as a sociopath...

http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/c...ation_of_evidence_in_zahra_death_starts_today

Photo Link: http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2014/04/does-this-look-to-you-like-a-girl-who-wanted-to-end-it-all/

(I'll be posting the latest updates too, in a minute.)

Tanti is pleading not guilty to charges of murder and assisting suicide.

Article earlier in the year:

'An AFM rescuer told a court this morning that he had found it hard to believe that drama teacher Erin Tanti, 23 had fallen down Dingli Cliffs because his injuries, at first glance, were not compatible with a fall from such a height – about eight storeys.'

http://www.timesofmalta.com/article...-that-erin-tanti-fell-off-dingli-cliff.516771

Older article with more details of charges:

'Erin Tanti, 23, actor and drama teacher has been arraigned in court Thursday. Tanti is being charged with six accusations: causing Lisa Maria Zahra’s , 15, death, assisting in her suicide, defilement of a minor, corruption of a minor, abuse of his position of trust, misuse of technology, possession of indecent material involving minors.'

http://www.di-ve.com/news/update-erin-tanti-charged-six-accusations

Psychiatrists who interviewed Tanti at the hospital testified he was of sound mind. However, one psychiatrist who wanted to be 'exempted from secrecy, so he could give evidence, was refused as defence objected.

The latest is that a juvenile witness has given evidence behind closed doors, and Tanti's trial is scheduled to resume August 14th.

http://www.di-ve.com/news/erin-tanti-case-continues-0

I'm a bit stuck now, as the most informative Malta Times is telling me I have to subscribe at this point, but it is worth reading up if you can - about the text msgs between the two, and Tanti's version of what happened, and why he took his passport and cash on a 'suicide trip' with a 15 year old pupil.

ETA: Maybe this should have gone in trials really, but as the case was so new to WS, that's why I posted it here.

There is this one too:

Lisa Maria's Dad lunges at Tanti in the courtroom crying, 'Why did you kill her, why did you kill her?'

http://www.independent.com.mt/mobile/2014-06-03/news/erin-tanti-case-continues-today-5304057858/

'Around 5am they counted together to three and she looked him in the eyes as she jumped off. He felt as if he had let her down so he decided to jump off as well. When he later opened his eyes he found himself to be at the bottom, he tried to get up to kill himself yet he lost consciousness. Tanti stated that the letter he had written to his mother he said that he wanted to kill himself as he did not want to end up in prison being named and shamed as a paedophile.'

http://www.di-ve.com/news/erin-tanti-i-do-not-think-right

When I was 15, a 23 year old seemed like a really mature and wise person. Just saying.

From October 2015:

http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/c...tanti_now_studying_at_university#.VmcFYYT8FWY

The Attorney General has asked the court hearing the compilation of evidence against Erin Tanti – accused of the murder and assisted suicide of 15-year-old Lisa Marie Zahra – to appoint psychiatric experts to assess Tanti’s suitability to attend a university course.

Tanti, 24, was granted bail on 23 June 2015 subject to a €20,000 deposit and €50,000 personal guarantee, and on condition that he lives with his mother and submits himself to the care of psychiatrist Maria Axiaq...

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