Paulina Dembska suffered unheard-of violence and knew she was dying, court hears

The man accused of the rape and murder of Paulina Dembska on New Year’s Day applied “unheard-of violence” to his unsuspecting victim, pathologist Mario Scerri has testified.

Readers are advised that the following descriptions of the crime might be upsetting.

Abner Aquilina, the man accused of the brutal murder, had managed to overcome the “strong woman” but applied blunt trauma to the face and upper chest in his aggressive assault.

Demsbka was attacked while tending to a cat colony at the Sliema Independence Gardens, early on New Year's Day.

Lawyer Stefano Filletti, representing Dembska's family in the proceedings, asked the court expert to comment on the amount of force that had caused the injuries.  Dr. Scerri confirmed that great force and violence had been used, leading to the visible injuries to her face and neck. "She was a strong woman, but she was still overcome," the court was told.

“She suffered unheard-of violence, a real beating,” Scerri commented on the photos exhibited in court.

A massive laceration was discovered on the victim's neck, caused by scratches and very strong pressure applied by the accused while he strangled her with a scarf. A clump of her hair was found on the railing nearby where her headphones and shoes had been removed – the body was found naked with her legs open on the ground.

The court was told that the injuries showed Dembska had been pinned down by Aquilina’s knees, and that he had then forcibly penetrated her, as evidenced by vaginal tears and seminal fluid found inside her.

Scerri said Dembska would have been conscious to the very end, struggling and fighting hard, as Aquilina had suffered defensive wounds.

“She knew she was dying,” Scerri said, pointing out the petechiae – the pinpoint, round spots that appear on the skin as a result of bleeding – in the eyes. “The cause of death was a broken neck... not even people who hang themselves break those bones,” the forensic expert said.