After Horrific Footage Of Discarded Human Organs, Former St Philip’s Hospital Owner Blames It On Vandals
The owner of the defunct St Philip’s Hospital has called out repeated vandalism after shocking footage emerged of human remains and intact patient records left inside the Santa Venera building.
Contacted by Lovin Malta, Frank Portelli insisted the hospital never left human remains behind when it closed down.
He even suggested that an urban explorer who published footage of the body parts in a YouTube video might have even left them there himself after visiting a butcher to generate hype.
“He gets more advertising money if he gets more views,” he commented.
Portelli added that a magisterial inquiry into an arson attack on the hospital last December never flagged the existence of human remains.
“The experts would have pointed it out if they found any human remains lying there,” he said.
In Facebook posts, Portelli also warned that the hospital was “repeatedly and purposefully” vandalised.
“The main door was broken, stone slabs removed, locked doors smashed, and arson perpetrated,” he said. “The message was clear; [it’s] the politics of hate.”
“We never had any human remains. No one was ever brought to justice, nor was adequate protection provided in spite of repeated attacks.”
Portelli went on to say that stories like this do nothing more than damage Malta’s reputation.
“These scenes of violence and hate are damaging Malta’s reputation through this bad publicity.”
Last month, Dutch urban explorer Bob Thissen published a YouTube video from inside the walls of St Philip’s, which has been closed down since 2012.
When he entered the building’s former laboratory, he stumbled upon the remains of organs, including what appeared to be a brain and a heart, emitting a foul stench. Intact patient records were also discovered.
“This is really a horror hospital,” he commented as he shone a flashlight on the remains.
Another prominent Maltese explorer then published a blurred photo of what she said was the remains of a human foetus she found when exploring the hospital.
“I have visited many scary places but none like St Philip’s,” she said. “There is a baby in this bucket… be respectful and don’t ask for the full photo.”
“Mr Frank Portelli should explain how a foetus is still in a bucket and the process didn’t take place as it should have. Don’t tell me that I shouldn’t have entered private property because it’s been abandoned for ages and it’s very dangerous… you know this is my hobby.”
St Philip’s has been closed since 2012 after negotiations with the government to lease it out for the sake of rehabilitating patients fell through.
Shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in March 2020, Portelli offered the government a deal to refurbish the hospital and lease it out for COVID-19 patients on a non-profit basis but his offer was never taken up.
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