Dembska murder suspect Abner Aquilina set to be arraigned on Thursday afternoon

Paulina Dembska’s suspected murderer, Abner Aquilina, will continue being interrogated by the police after doctors discharged him from Mount Carmel Hospital.

Aquilina, 20, from Żejtun, was arrested shortly after he raped and killed the Polish student in a Sliema public garden on 2 January.

Police had to suspend Aquilina’s interrogation and taken him to Mater Dei Hospital but doctors 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.

Sources told MaltaToday that Aquilina has been discharged from Mount Carmel, where he was being guarded by the police. He will return to a state of arrest and police have 48 hours to charge him.

An autopsy has confirmed that Dembska had been raped and strangled, while the investigation has confirmed it was a random killing, with no known link between the victim and the suspect.

Aquilina to be arraigned in court on Thursday afternoon

Abner Aquilina is to be arraigned in court on Thursday afternoon, sources confirmed.

He will be arraigned before magistrate Ian Farrugia tomorrow. Police Inspector Shawn Pawney is prosecuting together with lawyers George Camilleri and Anthony Vella from the office of the Attorney General.

Lawyer Mario Mifsud is defence counsel. Lawyer Stefano Filletti is advising the victim's family.

Correction: An earlier version of this report erroneously listed Franco Debono, Francesca Zarb and Tiziana Micallef as defence counsel. The error is regretted.