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[WATCH] Abner Aquilina charged with brutal rape and murder of Paulina Dembska
Abner Aquilina is charged in court with the murder and rape of Polish student Paulina Dembska • Police say murder was random, not linked to her gender
13 January 2022, 4:11pm
Matthew Agius
Matthew Agius
2 min read
Accused Abner Aquilina (centre) is flanked by two police officers as he is driven to the law courts in Valletta to face charges of murder and rape (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)
Abner Aquilina, 20, from Żejtun was charged on Thursday evening with the brutal rape and murder of Polish student Paulina Dembska.
The court presided by Magistrate Ian Farrugia heard prosecutors charge Aquilina with holding the victim against her will, forcing her to perform acts against her modesty, raping her vaginally, anally and orally. He was also charged with disturbing the public peace at the Balluta church at around 6am.
Abner Aquilina escorted out of court
Dembska was murdered at around 5:15am on 2 January at the Independence Garden in Sliema. The accused then went to the Balluta church where he caused a commotion.
The accused pleaded not guilty.
Aquilina's mother was present in the courtroom with a mournful expression throughout proceedings.
Aquilina's defence lawyer Mario Mifsud did not ask for bail but requested that his client be held at Mount Carmel Hospital rather than at prison. The court ruled that the prison doctor should immediately assess the accused and decide where he should stay.
Inspector Jonathan Ransley told the court that the police had been informed of a murder in Sliema and shortly after informed of a man who was being treated for scratches and minor injuries at the Floriana clinic. When talking to the man, it became clear that he was the person who committed the murder.
The case will now be assigned to another magistrate for the compilation of evidence stage to commence.
Lawyer Stefano Filletti is representing the victim's family in the proceedings.
Police held a crime conference to announce that Paulina Dembska's alleged murderer will be charged with homicide and rape
Police crime conference
Earlier, in a crime conference, the police said Dembska's murder was random and not linked to her gender despite the rape charge.
Investigations also showed there was no link between the accused and his victim.
Asked about the conclusion that this crime had nothing to do with the victim's gender despite being raped, the police spokesperson said evidence submitted in court will support this claim.
Police say Paulina Dembska's murder was random, not linked to her gender
Dembska, 29, was murdered at the Independence Garden in Sliema on 2 January. Police said she was killed at around 5:15am.
Police had to suspend Aquilina’s interrogation after doctors at Mater Dei Hospital referred him to Mount Carmel Hospital for treatment. He is understood to have told police that it was the devil who told him to do what he did.
Police said the accused was discharged from Mount Carmel Hospital on Wednesday afternoon and his interrogation continued shortly afterwards and today.
18:50 Thank you for following.
Kurt Sansone
18:50 This blog will end here. A summary of proceedings will appear shortly.
Kurt Sansone
18:50 Aquilina leaves the courthouse in Valletta.
Kurt Sansone
18:48 Aquilina has been escorted out of the courtroom and will be taken to Corradino Correctional Facility.
Kurt Sansone
18:45 Follow us also on MaltaToday's Facebook page where we are now live at the back of courthouse in Valletta waiting for the accused to be escorted out.
Kurt Sansone
18:43 The family walk out of the courtroom.
Kurt Sansone
18:42 The court sends the acts to the registrar to be assigned to another magistrate according to law. The sitting is over.
Kurt Sansone
18:42 The court says it finds nothing incorrect with the defence's submission and upholds the request. The defence says it has nothing more to add at this stage.
Kurt Sansone
18:41 The court dictates a recommendation to the CCF director that the necessary assessments be carried out on the accused without delay. Defence lawyer Mario Mifsud says the recommendation is being requested in the best interests of the accused and society at large. The prosecution and parte civile do not object to the request.
Kurt Sansone
18:36 The defence lawyers Mario Mifsud and Christian Camilleri explain that for the past few days the accused was being held at Mount Carmel Hospital.
Kurt Sansone
18:34 Prosecutor Anthony Vella suggests that the man be examined by the prison doctor and the decision on whether or not to hold him there or Mount Carmel be taken then. The prerogative is that of the prison director, he points out.
Kurt Sansone
18:34 Mifsud does not request bail but asks the court to recommend that Aquilina be held at Mount Carmel instead of Corradino prison.
Kurt Sansone
18:34 The magistrate notes the absolute silence in the courtroom.
Kurt Sansone
18:33 Defence lawyer Mario Mifsud informs the court that his client pleads not guilty.
Kurt Sansone
18:33 Abner Aquilina is asked his details by the registrar. He says he works as a clerk.
Kurt Sansone
18:32 The court declares the arrest valid.
Kurt Sansone
18:32 The accused’s statements were all audio-visual and assisted by his lawyer, says the inspector.
Kurt Sansone
18:32 Police went to ask the man questions and from his answers they understood that he had committed the murder. The interrogation had to be suspended because of a referral by doctors to Mount Carmel Hospital. Aquilina was later released and interrogated further.
Kurt Sansone
18:30 Inspector Ransley tells the court that the police had been informed of a body in Sliema. They were also informed that a man was admitted to Floriana clinic for scratches and other slight injuries.
Kurt Sansone
18:30 The magistrate asks the prosecution what led to the man's arrest.
Kurt Sansone
18:30 Defence lawyer Mario Mifsud does not contest the validity of the arrest.
Kurt Sansone
18:29 Aquilina is also charged with breaching the public peace in Balluta church at 6am. Aquilina is also accused of being a recidivist in view of past convictions.
Kurt Sansone
18:29 The inspector accuses Abner, 20, from Żejtun with murdering Paulina Dembska, holding her against her will, forcing her to perform acts against her modesty, raping her vaginally, anally and orally. The crime happened on 2 January.
Kurt Sansone
18:26 The magistrate calls Inspector Ransley to the stand to confirm the charges on oath.
Kurt Sansone
18:26 The court was opened after hours with an urgent application filed by the prosecution.
Kurt Sansone
18:26 Magistrate Ian Farrugia walks in and tells the accused to take his hands out of his pockets. “What?” replies the accused. The magistrate repeats the order and he complies.
Kurt Sansone
18:25 The accused turns to speak to his mother.
Kurt Sansone
18:25 Parte civile lawyer Stefano Filletti has just walked in.
Kurt Sansone
18:24 Inspector Christina Delia is accompanying a woman with a mournful expression, who we are told is Aquilina’s mother.
Kurt Sansone
18:23 Deputy AG Philip Galea Farrugia, lawyer Anthony Vella from the AG, Superintendent Keith Arnaud, Inspectors Shawn Pawney, Wayne Camilleri and Jonathan Ransley for the prosecution are also inside the courtroom.
Kurt Sansone
18:22 Our senior court reporter Matthew Agius tells us that the accused is wearing a blue jacket with what looks like a white t-shirt draped around his neck. His lawyer Mario Mifsud sits next to him in the dock discussing something as we wait for the magistrate to emerge from chambers.
Kurt Sansone
18:16 It appears that Aquilina showed journalists waiting outside the law courts in Valletta, the middle finger from inside the police vehicle.
Kurt Sansone
18:14 Our reporter Karl Azzopardi tells us that accused Abner Aquilina has just been driven to court by the police. Proceedings will start shortly.
Kurt Sansone
18:13 Good evening. We're back.
Kurt Sansone
16:55 This live blog will resume just before 6:30pm to cover court proceedings in which Aquilina will be charged with murder and rape.
Kurt Sansone
16:55 The crime conference is over. Thank you for following.
Kurt Sansone
16:54 The police spokesperson refused to be drawn into any past convictions of the accused.
Kurt Sansone
16:53 Aquilina was released from Mount Carmel Hospital after doctors declared him fit to stand trial.
Kurt Sansone
16:52 Asked whether the accused was under the influence of drugs, or whether he suffered from mental health issues, the spokesperson says that investigations are ongoing but the only charges that will be filed this evening concern murder and rape.
Kurt Sansone
16:51 Asked about investigations into social media reports of sexual harassment carried out by the accused in the past, the police spokesperson says police reached out to the persons who commented about past harassment but investigations show that no police reports had been filed.
Kurt Sansone
16:49 The release of Dembska's body for burial will depend on the inquiring magistrate.
Kurt Sansone
16:48 When asked whether members of the River of Love Christian community were questioned over information that Aquilina had attended a ceremony hours before the murder, the police spokesperson says that like all investigations the police speak to all persons who may be connected to the case or the accused.
Kurt Sansone
16:45 Asked by MaltaToday to explain how the murder was not linked to the victim’s gender when rape was involved, the police spokesperson said investigations showed that the murder was random and this will be sustained by the evidence to be presented in court.
Kurt Sansone
16:42 Police say that there appears to be no link between the suspect and the victim's gender.
Kurt Sansone
16:41 Police investigations also looked into reports that appeared on the media and social media networks.
Kurt Sansone
16:38 Police say the murder was not premeditated and the accused had no specific target.
Kurt Sansone
16:37 Dembska was murdered at around 5:15am on 2 January at the Independence Garden in Sliema. The accused was arrested within an hour of the murder.
Kurt Sansone
16:36 Police say that a 20-year-old from Zejtun will be charged at around 6:30pm with the homicide and rape of Paulina Dembska.
Kurt Sansone
16:33 The police crime conference is starting now.
Kurt Sansone
16:27 Sources have said that Aquilina is expected to be charged with Dembska's murder later on this evening.
Kurt Sansone
16:26 Abner Aquilina, 20, from Żejtun was arrested shortly after the murder and interrogated. But his interrogation had to be suspended after doctors referred the suspect to Mount Carmel Hospital for treatment. Aquilina was discharged on Wednesday and his interrogation continued.
Kurt Sansone
16:25 Police are expected to give details on the investigation.
Kurt Sansone
16:24 Our senior court reporter Matthew Agius is at police depot waiting for a crime conference on the Paulina Dembska murder to start.
Kurt Sansone
16:23 Good afternoon.
Kurt Sansone
Sources close to the investigation had said that the autopsy had confirmed Dembska had been raped and strangled.
The police said Aquilina's family are being offered support by the Victim Support Unit.
Matthew Agius is Senior Reporter on Law and Court Affairs at MaltaToday.
He is also a Leg...
