In the haunting spirit of Halloween, the Department of Information has released a video along with details about one of the few remaining British-style gallows on the island, located at the Corradino Correctional Facility.

Completed in 2021, a restoration project involving both prisoners and correctional officers upgraded the structure with stone, wood, iron, and new lighting. The prison also features a small cemetery where those executed are buried.

When the British constructed the facility in Paola in the mid-19th century, executions shifted from outdoor venues to inside the prison – initially in the courtyard, and then in 1880, when a dedicated execution room was built.

In Malta, the death penalty by gallows, known as ‘il-forka’ in Maltese, was abolished by Parliament in 1971, with the last executions taking place on 5th July 1943, when the brothers Karmnu and Guzeppi Zammit were hanged for the murder of Spiru Grech. However, it remained part of the military code until it was completely abolished on March 21, 2000 – just two decades ago!

Have you ever seen some of the gallows used back then?