Victim Support Malta is calling for urgent action over lengthy court delays, warning that victims and their families are being forced to wait years, and in the most serious cases almost 11 years for criminal proceedings to conclude.The organisation issued its appeal as Malta reflects on the conclusion of proceedings relating to the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, saying the moment highlights the lasting impact prolonged criminal cases can have on victims and their loved ones.Citing the European Commission’s 2026 Rule of Law Report, Victim Support Malta pointed towards a significant increase in the estimated time needed to conclude first-instance criminal cases.According to the figures cited by the organisation, the estimated disposition time increased from 527 days in 2022 to 713 days in 2023, before reaching 862 days in 2024.The situation was considerably worse for severe criminal cases.In 2024, their estimated disposition time stood at 3,977 days, almost 11 years which Victim Support Malta said was the longest recorded in the European Union. This compared with 2,506 days in 2022 and 2,160 days in 2023.“Behind every statistic is a person, a family and a life placed on hold,” the organisation said.“For victims and their loved ones, prolonged court proceedings can deepen trauma, prolong uncertainty and create a painful sense that justice remains out of reach.”Victim Support Malta stressed that it respects the independence of the judiciary and recognises the complexity involved in criminal proceedings, but argued that justice cannot be fully effective when people must wait so long for cases to conclude.It is now calling for sustained action to tackle court backlogs, eliminate unnecessary delays and provide Malta’s justice system with the resources and reforms it needs to operate effectively.“Victims deserve to be heard, supported and treated with dignity throughout the judicial process,” it said.“They have a right to timely justice.”What do you make of this?•