Daphne’s suffering has ended. Her family’s has not. The mere fact someone so close to them was taken away from them in such a brutal manner, simply for exposing the truth is already a depiction of their daily pain. Daphne was doing a job which no one bothered to do – she did it anyway and did it so well that she was too inconvenient.
However, the Maltese have not made it any easier for them. To exacerbate their pain, they keep vilifying Daphne even after her death (even though justice for Daphne means justice for them too, irrespective of how much they disagreed with her), the political situation getting worse by the second with the majority of citizens siding with the oppressors, either directly by hurling all kinds of insults, all the trolls online, all the people who verbally and sometimes even physically abuse them at the memorial; or indirectly, by being apathetic, not lifting a finger, but allowing all this to happen. (In so doing, giving up their own rights too).
The family certainly does not get any aid from the government, who keeps trying its best to make their life difficult. This can be seen by the setting up of a public inquiry taking almost 2 years to be initiated and even so, its impartiality questioned. The Prime Minister, who tries to blackmail the family despite all the international condemnation it has been on the receiving end of. Criminal lawsuits which shouldn’t even be there in the first place still there. The memorial protest site being “cleansed” on a daily basis.
No one should be facing what Daphne’s family have been for these years. We live in a country in which protests are silenced, mere posters ripped off, mere flowers removed.
And yet, they are the ones who give us hope, they are the ones who inspire us. I have this to say: Thank you so much for teaching us things which should be obvious, but which the educational system failed to teach us. Thank you for all the values you taught us, especially that of persistence.
So, to all those reading this: we can all do something, however small, to help.
There’s the demonstration at 7 in Valletta, are you attending?
To all those who are doing their part: thank you for recognising what a democracy should consist of and for not allowing people in positions of power get away with all they do, and for not letting Daphne’s family fight alone.
And to Daphne’s family: thank you for being so strong and exemplary despite everything. You are not alone.
Rest in Peace Daphne, you will never ever be forgotten. We will continue to fight for what you stood for, thank you for doing so much.