Malta releases 15-year-old Italian held since May over false bomb alarm

Release on bail

Maltese judicial authorities ordered the release on bail of a 15-year-old Italian boy who had been held since his arrest on 25 May for causing a false alarm at his school. The Italian foreign ministry, the Farnesina, announced the decision in a statement issued on 10 November. The teenager is expected to return to his parents' home in Malta between 10 and 11 November, after which he will be able to attend school normally. The ministry said the case had been followed from the outset on the instructions of Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, and that its main aim had been to allow the boy to return home.

The arrest and detention

According to the reports, the boy phoned the police at 9 a.m. on the day of his arrest and said there was a bomb in the secondary school he attended. The call led to the immediate evacuation of the building and a search of the premises, and no bomb was found. Il Giornale reported that he was first held in isolation for four days in a division of the Corradino adult prison, and was then moved to a juvenile prison, where he stayed until his release. Tgcom24 reported that in August his father publicly complained about the conditions of the isolation. Il Giornale also reported that investigators examined his smartphone and other electronic devices, considering a possible link to an online network known as 764, while the defence argued he may have been manipulated online.

Consular and diplomatic follow-up

The Farnesina said the Italian embassy in Malta carried out several consular visits to the boy during his detention, gave the family ongoing assistance and took part in every stage of the legal proceedings. On 5 November, Italy's ambassador to Malta, Valentina Setta, raised the case again in a meeting with Maltese Interior Minister Glenn Bedingfield. The ministry said the embassy would keep following the case through the courts and would give full support to the boy and his family.

Open questions

The criminal proceedings continue despite the release, according to the reports. Il Giornale wrote that it still has to be established whether the boy acted knowingly or was a victim of online blackmail, a question tied both to the investigation into the 764 network and to the protection of minors in the digital world. The Farnesina said it will continue to follow the judicial side of the case.