Ritratt ta’ Viktoria NikollaA total of 83 homicide cases were registered in Malta between 2010 and 2025, of which 65 were solved while 18 remain unresolved, according to figures presented in Parliament by Minister for Home Affairs, Security and Employment Byron Camilleri.
The information was published in reply to a parliamentary question tabled by MP Ivan Bartolo, who requested details on how many homicide cases remained unsolved over a 16-year period.
Data provided in tabular form shows that the highest number of unresolved cases occurred between 2012 and 2017. In 2014, for instance, four out of six homicide cases were not solved, while in 2017 four out of nine cases also remained unresolved.
In 2012, ten homicide cases were recorded, with seven solved and three left unsolved. The following year, 2013, saw six cases, of which four were solved and two remained unresolved. A similar pattern emerged in 2015 and 2016, when two cases per year were left unsolved from totals of four and five cases respectively.
However, from 2018 onwards, the figures indicate a significant turnaround in investigative outcomes. Between 2018 and 2025, every homicide case reported during this period was successfully resolved.
In 2018, six cases were all solved, followed by three in 2019, six in 2020, two in 2021, eight in 2022, three in 2023, five in 2024 and three in 2025.
The data highlights a consistent improvement in criminal investigations over the past eight years, with no unsolved homicide cases recorded during this timeframe.
While the parliamentary reply did not provide specific explanations for why several cases remained unresolved in earlier years, the figures offer an overview of long-term trends in serious crime investigations and public security in Malta.
No new policy measures were announced in the response. Nevertheless, the published data serves as an important reference point for evaluating criminal justice policy and the effectiveness of investigative systems in addressing the most serious crimes.
