Well, not very different. Until a couple of decades ago, Ireland was like Malta: a backwards, ultra Catholic, multi-baby bearing society.

Mrs Tanti is Irish.

That would be impossible, Qeghdin Sew – you don’t book tickets for an unknown person.

Technically? Who would be interested in booking flights for an unknown person?

She knew she was his pupil and she must have met her/at least heard about her, numerous times.

What begs the question is: why was she so involved? Or is it that she only cared about her son’s needs?

Raising children with the belief that they cannot do any wrong no matter what they do.

So far Malta has had to generations of youngsters reared this way and it shows.

No date of birth is required when booking on Easyjet.com. But that is neither here nor there. Tanti was a teacher. Zahra was his pupil. Her age was an aggravating factor. Mrs Tanti knew about the relationship. Erin Tanti hadn’t mentioned that. He’d said three people knew, but he hadn’t mentioned his own mother smong them.

No, it doesn’t.

The majority of people will make wrong assumptions and not the best of choices. Not because they are bad or irresponsible people, but because they can’t correctly sense the level of a dangerous situation until after it is too late.

I say this because it probably applies to both the families of the victim and the accused.

[Daphne – Why would a man of 23 use his mother (without her knowledge) as an alias for booking tickets?]

Slight correction: According to reports he told his mother he was dating an under-age pupil of his but told her she was 17 not 15. For God’s sake, does that make any difference?