[WATCH] Sliema after Paulina Dembska murder: victim’s cruel fate raises safety concerns

Paulina Dembska, a 29-year-old Polish student, was brutally murdered at Sliema’s Independence Garden on Sunday, making her the first murder victim in Malta this year.

Reports said she had signs of violence around her head and on her chest, with the autopsy showing she was raped and strangled.

Murder suspect Abner Aquilina was arrested that same day, and is now under observation for a mental health assessment at Mount Carmel hospital.

No connection between Dembska, a Sliema resident who spoke highly of Malta and was often seen at the Independence Gardens feeding the cat colony, and Aquilina, of Żejtun, has been established.

The murder of Dembska shocked the nation for its brutality and the rarity of the unwarranted assault, once again bringing to the fore the issue of safety for women in Malta.

Pasers-by along the Sliema promenade where Dembska was murdered said women fear going out alone at night or early in the morning despite Malta being generally considered a safe country.

They remarked they would like to see more security, with more police patrolling the streets. Many also said they there was a need for more awareness and education on women’s rights, in order to eliminate instances of harassement and violence.

Aquilina had a history of online sexual harassment. After his arrest, many women posted screenshots of unsolicited messages of a sexual nature from Aquilina when he was a teenager.

The Women’s Rights Foundation will be holding a vigil on the site of Dembska’s murder on Tuesday at 6pm. Attendees are asked to bring a candle with them.