The parents of Mirabelle Falzon, the young woman who tragically lost her life in a rockfall at Munxar, Marsascala last summer, have welcomed the government’s pledge to act on the findings of a magisterial inquiry, but insist her death should never have happened in the first place.Mirabelle was killed on 19 July 2024 when part of the crumbling cliffs near the ruins of the Riħama Battery, an 18th-century fortification overlooking St Thomas Bay, collapsed.At a press conference held at the site, her father Michael Falzon stood alongside his wife Charmaine, both visibly emotional, as they reacted to the inquiry’s conclusions.“Action could have been taken before, and that is where our pain is coming from,” Michael said. “People had raised the alarm, but action only came after this tragedy.”The inquiry, led by Magistrate Antoine Agius Bonnici, found that repeated warnings and reports made by residents and NGOs over the years had been lost in government bureaucracy, allowing the battery to deteriorate to a dangerous state.Among other recommendations, the magistrate said a single government entity should take responsibility for handling all public reports of buildings at risk of collapse.The government has now said it will implement the recommendations.But Mirabelle’s parents say that brings little comfort.“If the money spent on the inquiry had been spent on restoring the battery, we wouldn’t be here today,” Michael said.“We will never see our daughter again,” Charmaine added. “I want action to be taken so that no one else has to go through what we have.”Urban explorer Conrad Neil Gatt, who for years flagged the risks at Munxar, said action had come “too late.”“When I highlighted the issue, authorities kept passing the buck. Now, those responsible must take political responsibility. No one is going to bring Mirabelle back,” he said.Gatt also warned of other neglected sites, showing photos of dangerous locations around Malta, including the Bormla tunnel, which he described as a major concern.The Falzons’ lawyer, former Gżira mayor Conrad Borg Manche, was blunt in his assessment:“This could have been easily avoided. But in Malta, we only seem to act after a tragedy occurs.”📸 Erika Lanzafame•