10/09/2026
A Maltese child and adolescent mental health organisation has warned that the fallout surrounding the Daphne Caruana Galizia case could have a wider psychological impact on young people.
The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH) issued the warning in the aftermath of the recent trial concerning Caruana Galizia’s assassination, saying that regardless of how people interpret the verdict, “children and adolescents are watching closely.”
The organisation said young people observe not only what happens in courts and public institutions, but also how adults respond, including “the language we use, the anger we amplify, the standards we excuse and the values we defend.”
According to ACAMH, repeated exposure to allegations of serious wrongdoing, hostility, division or an apparent lack of accountability can cause “moral distress” and, in more severe circumstances, contribute to what psychiatrists describe as “moral injury”.
“This is not simply a political issue. It is a child and adolescent mental-health issue,” the organisation said.
ACAMH warned that the effects may emerge through cynicism, anger, withdrawal, hopelessness or a belief among young people that honesty and fairness do not matter.
However, the organisation stressed that this does not mean shielding children from difficult realities or disagreement. Instead, it called for truthful, age-appropriate conversations and for adults to model integrity when discussing injustice and social conflict.
“It takes a village to raise a child. The moral health of that village matters,” ACAMH concluded.
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