‘Even if we don’t get a fair verdict, we’ll still keep fighting for him’: A decade-long saga for justice

After enduring years of agonisingly slow court proceedings, the family members of a teenage workplace victim who died in a woodworking factory spoke up for the first time in 2021.

By then, the involuntary homicide case of 17-year-old Matthew Bartolo had already dragged on long enough to make anyone question whether justice would ever be served, if at all.

Construct Furniture, Bartolo’s former employers, have denied all responsibility for his death, the circumstances of which were never clarified by the only witness who was present at the time of the tragic incident.

A decade after Bartolo’s death, the criminal case against the directors of the furniture company is finally set to be decided on Monday, though it is likely that the verdict will be swiftly followed up by an appeal that will inevitably delay a final outcome.

The Shift caught up with the Bartolo family for a brief interview prior to Monday’s hearing. Claudette and Leonard, Matthew’s parents, have attended practically every hearing since the criminal case began in 2015.

Though their exhaustion is palpable, a note of defiance remains in their voices whenever anyone dares suggest they would ever give up trying to get justice for Matthew.

After having endured the kind of heartbreak no parent should ever have to face, their determination to honour their son’s memory continues to be a source of strength for a family that just wants closure.

Below is the conversation The Shift had with the family ahead of Monday’s hearing:

How do you feel now that you’re so close to hearing the verdict about the criminal case against Construct Furniture directors?

Claudette: “Well, we’re excited…”

Leonard: “I hope that it will be a fair verdict.”

Claudette: “Yes, that’s it.”

Tell me more about what you mean by ‘excited’, Claudette. What’s going through your mind right now?

Claudette: “Well, we’ve been dealing with this for the past decade now. It seems like we’re almost done, unless something else crops up and they tell us that it’s not going to happen yet. That’s my greatest fear, first of all. Secondly, as Leonard said, we hope that there will be a fair verdict, the verdict that Matthew deserves.”

You sound particularly worried about the possibility of these proceedings dragging on for longer. 

Claudette: “Yes, as we said, it’s been ten years now.”

You don’t want more delays.

Claudette: “Yes, that’s my biggest fear, because we saw a lot of that throughout the past ten years.”

Regardless of the outcome on Monday, either party can choose to appeal the sentence. You were also considering filing a civil case for damages.

Claudette: “Yes, exactly.”

Are you willing to go all the way?

Claudette: “We will do whatever is necessary. We will appeal if we have to, for sure. Though of course, if we could get a fair verdict now and finish this here, we’d be much happier. We’re tired of this. It’s always the same. You never know where you stand when things are like this. But, even if we don’t get a fair verdict, we will still keep fighting, that’s for sure.”

You started a campaign called ‘Justice for Matthew Bartolo’. Did you have any kind of contact with the authorities after you started that campaign?

Claudette: “Nobody took any interest, no. We had one meeting with the justice minister, that’s about it.”

When was that?

Claudette: “It was a while ago, it was right after we started the campaign… around that time, at least.”

Leonard: “We had spoken to him to ask him to do something about delays in Court. These cases should not take ten years. This doesn’t happen in other countries.”

Claudette: “They just told us that they are aware of these issues and that they’re going to reform the system, but two years have gone by and nothing really seems to have happened.”

Did you interact with any other campaigns or organisations?

Claudette: “We had gotten in touch with the Daphne Foundation, and we had an exhibition. I gave them Matthew’s items for the exhibition. They kept in touch with us, and it was nice to talk to them. That’s the only thing we did; other than that, it’s been quiet.”

Do you think that you’ll restart your campaign if justice is not served?

Claudette: “Yes, I think so. We’d have to do something to make sure our voices are heard… I do feel that whatever we do, we’re not going to get anywhere. We’re still in the same situation we were on day one, and nobody took any interest in us. Just because we didn’t go to Parliament to yell at MPs… we didn’t get anywhere. Is that what it’s going to take for them to pay attention to us? Is this what I will need to do? What do they want me to do? Go on hunger strike in front of Castille?

We’re tired of reaching out to the prime minister over and over, trying to get messages and emails through to his office… We still got nothing.”