Police do plan to charge Abner Aquilina with the murder of Paulina Dembska despite his interrogation being suspended over mental health concerns. 

Lovin Malta is informed that police are currently awaiting further analysis of Aquilina before officially charging Aquilina. However, police are confident that they have enough evidence in their position to pursue a criminal case against Aquilina. 

Still, sources said police are prepared for the suspect to claim insanity when faced with the charges. 

Dembska, a 29-year-old Polish national, was murdered on 2nd January at Independence Gardens, Sliema, where she used to feed stray cats. She was raped and strangled, a TVM report has claimed.

Aquilina, a 20-year-old, is being treated as the main suspect. He has since been referred to Mount Carmel Hospital, while police struggle to find any link between him and his victim.

Lovin Malta has revealed how Aquilina told investigators that he was a “soldier from God” and was acting upon the orders of “frequencies” in the lead up to the murder.

Just half an hour before his arrest, Aquilina allegedly appeared at the Balluta Church, which is close to where Dembska was discovered. He reportedly approached the altar and caused a scene, overturning some seats.

The murder has shocked the nation, with many pointing to the country’s long-standing issues with femicide and violence against women as directly leading to these kinds of incidents. However, others have placed further emphasis on the mental health issue in Malta.

Several women have also claimed they were harassed by Aquilina, with Lovin Malta receiving numerous screenshots from messages sent by the murder suspect.

Meanwhile, a woman detailed how she and a friend were confronted by an erratic Aquilina when she visited Xrobb l-Għaġin on New Year’s Eve.

Police have asked women who claimed they were sexually harassed by Aquilina to come forward and file an official complaint, pledging to take it “very seriously”.

If you or someone you know needs to talk about their mental health, please call national support service 179. Alternatively, visit www.kellimni.com; the Richmond Foundation’s OLLI.chat to get in touch online; or the  Kif Int? website.

What do you think of the case?