Police ask victim of Paceville beating to identify bouncer on site

An 18-year-old who was beaten up by three Paceville bouncers on Easter Sunday was asked by the police to identify his aggressors on site. 

Given that such a procedure could easily intimidate the youngster and allow the club owners to protect the alleged perpetrators, MaltaToday asked Police Commissioner Michael Cassar whether this is a normal procedure used by the Malta Police Force.

The force’s media office replied that a report about the incident was filed one day later at the Birzebbugia Police station “and once the Police initiated investigations the victim was asked to identify the alleged aggressor from a set of photos. Due to discrepancies in the identity of the alleged aggressor the victim was asked if he was willing to identify the person on site.”

The request to identify the aggressors on the site were the alleged crime took place is more puzzling given that the police told MaltaToday that CCTV “footages” of the incident have been collected. 

The teenager was among a number of people who were beaten up by bouncers on Easter Sunday in St Rita Steps, home to various popular clubs and bars in Paceville. MaltaToday understands that other victims did not file a police report out of fear of reprisal or of being banned from entering clubs and bars in Paceville. 

Eyewitnesses said that up to eight or nine bouncers were involved in the fracas which happened just after 7:30pm on 27 March. The 18-year-old man who filed the report suffered severe facial injuries.

Asked why the Police have not deployed a permanent presence in the busiest parts of Paceville and once again were unable to prevent the beating of young people by bouncers, the force’s media office said the present deployment of “six officers from Monday to Thursday, 25 on Friday and Saturday and 20 on a Sunday is enough.”

This presence, the force added, is complemented by Rapid Intervention Unit officers and plain clothes officers from the CID and drug squad who conduct inspections. 

Serbian club employee identified 

Meanwhile, MaltaToday has identified a Paceville club employee who allegedly beat up another youngster on 24 February. 

CCTV footage of a horrific beating in the centre of Paceville seen by MaltaToday shows that at least five people were involved in a fracas which saw a 20-year-old man, Nicholas Aquilina, suffering serious injuries to his face. 

The footage clearly shows a man who joined the fracas after exiting from an adjacent strip club owned by the same owner. The bare-chested bouncer has a visible tattoo on his back and the footage also shows his face, but he was not one of the people arrested in connection with the incident.

The man, Veliko Blesa Stopalo, works in a strip club adjacent to Soho Lounge, where Aquilina was beaten up severely after trying to stop bouncers who were beating up a Libyan student. 

The footage shows him running towards the fracas which at that point was outside the camera’s view. Although Aquilina identified Veliko Blesa Stopalo – a Sebian national – as one of the people who beat him up, the police have so far failed to arrest him or take the man in for questioning. 

In reply to MaltaToday’s questions, the police said that Veliko Blesa Stopalo “has been identified and is not a bouncer. This can be seen in the CCTV footage, he has no involvement in the incident.”

However, speaking to MaltaToday Aquilina’s mother confirmed that her son clearly remembers the Serbian beating him up when the fracas moved to the opposite side of the street, in a fast food eatery, which the CCTV footage does not show.

The police have only collected the CCTV footage from an establishment three doors down from Soho Lounge. Prosecuting inspector Elton Taliana has so far failed to obtain the CCTV footage from the cameras belonging to the club where the incident took place, and the adjacent clubs, all owned by the same owners. 

The police said that the Court expert appointed in the compilation of evidence did not manage to retrieve any CCTV footages other than that retrieved by the Police. 

“The Police can only comment on its actions and not that of others.”

The incident took place just after 3:30am and the police took almost 40 minutes to arrive on the scene where Aquilina and two other young men were brutally beaten up. 

Asked why it took so long for the officers to arrive on the scene and why no police officers were on patrol to prevent the incident or intervene, the police said they were informed about the case through the Casualty Department as no one reported the matter to the Police.

“The Police arrived on the scene some 6 to 10 minutes after they were notified with the case,” the force’s media office said. 

So far only three people – club manager Godwin Micallef, bouncer Miroslav Sasic and promoter Nicolae Dobra – have been arrested and arraigned. 

Asked why only three persons were arrested when CCTV footage clearly shows that at least six people were involved, the police said “the CCTV footage available and already presented in Court shows the three accused kicking the other person.”

Ministry still working on new regulations

Reacting to the latest spate of incidents involving Paceville bouncers, the home affairs ministry reiterated its concerns on “the quality of some of the bouncers in Paceville.”

Following a stampede in another Paceville club owned by some of the owners of Soho Lounge, the ministry has been working on setting stricter standards in the quality of chosen bouncers in places of entertainment. 

“Ongoing work includes the establishment of new eligibility requirements and adequate training,” the ministry said. 

In 2011, a legal notice laying out a new set of regulations governing private guards at places of entertainment required bouncers to have a minimum of five years’ experience in the police, armed forces, prison services or as a private security guard before being licensed under the new regime.

But the situation has not changed. In fact many argue that safety and security in Paceville have deteriorated and some fear that club owners act with impunity because of complicity of some elements of the police force.  

But a ministry spokesperson played down these fears and said “anyone who is in hold of information, alluding to the collusion as remarked in your question, between members of the force and club owners and their employees should immediately report this to the Commissioner of Police.”