Domestic Violence Suspect Granted Bail After Third Attempt Despite Pending Attempted Murder Charges

A Cospicua man has been granted bail on Thursday after his third application in a domestic violence case, marking a significant development in his legal proceedings. Nazzareno Dalli, who has been detained since January 2025 on domestic violence charges, was released from Corradino prison following the magistrate's decision. This bail approval comes despite his concurrent prosecution for attempted murder charges filed after a March 2024 stabbing incident at a Marsa residence.

The Bail Decision

Dalli's legal team, represented by attorneys Franco Debono and Nicholas Mifsud, secured the bail approval after two previous rejections. The magistrate's decision suggests that concerns about flight risk or witness intimidation may have diminished over the months of detention, a common pattern in Maltese criminal procedure. While the specific reasons for granting bail on the third attempt have not been disclosed, standard judicial practice indicates courts review whether continued detention still serves justice purposes or has become de facto punishment before trial.

The release carries strict conditions typical in domestic violence cases: seizure of travel documents, mandatory weekly police reporting, prohibition on leaving the islands without court permission, and explicit bans on contacting the alleged victims. Breach of these terms triggers immediate re-arrest and bail revocation.

Lawyer Ishmael Psaila, representing the alleged victims as parte civile, participated in the bail hearing, though the magistrate issued the ruling independently without veto from the civil party.

Background: The March 2024 Stabbing

The charges against Dalli stem from a stabbing incident in March 2024 at a residence in Marsa on Triq San Tumas. Two stepdaughters—ages 12 and 15—sustained injuries. The 12-year-old suffered multiple stab wounds requiring critical care treatment. The 15-year-old sustained defensive wounds to her hands. A 14-year-old boy present during the incident was physically unharmed but received psychological support. Police identified Dalli as the person responsible for the stabbing.

The Dual Prosecution System

Dalli initially secured bail in December 2024 for the attempted murder charges and was released on conditions restricting his movement. However, in early January 2025, Malta Police filed a separate set of domestic violence charges relating to alleged incidents in the same household. This fresh allegation reset his legal status entirely, as bail granted in one prosecution does not automatically protect an accused person from detention on new charges filed in a separate case.

When he faced the January domestic violence charges, prosecutors requested preventive custody. The magistrate agreed, and Dalli returned to prison. His first two bail applications were rejected. The third application, heard Thursday, resulted in his release.

Malta's criminal justice system treats each criminal file as an independent legal matter. While this separation allows each charge focused judicial attention, it creates practical complications when violence concentrates within a single family unit. The March 2024 stabbing and January 2025 domestic violence allegations, though involving overlapping victims and the same accused person, proceed as separate prosecutions with potentially different magistrates, different trial timelines, and independent bail determinations.

What Happens Next

Neither case has advanced to trial. Both remain in the compilation phase, during which magistrates evaluate whether prosecutors have gathered sufficient evidence to send cases to the Criminal Court for trial. Once indictments are issued, the Criminal Court docket determines when trials commence. Dalli now awaits trial dates for two separate prosecutions simultaneously.

The 12-year-old and 15-year-old victims will be required to testify in both the attempted murder and domestic violence proceedings. The alleged primary victim in the January charges will similarly appear as a witness in both cases.

Dalli's release Thursday clears a procedural hurdle in the domestic violence case but does not accelerate the trial calendar for either prosecution. Serious felony cases in Malta typically require 18 to 36 months from charge to verdict, with appeals potentially extending proceedings substantially further.