‘The State Has Failed Doubly So,’ MP Says As Questions Arise Over Abner Aquilina’s State Of Mental Health
Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar has looked towards the state and society to see how a young Maltese man could ever end up murdering a woman he didn’t even know.
“It’s heartbreaking that the country you chose as your home turned into your grave,” Cutajar said, addressing her words at 29-year-old Polish Paulina Dembska, who was found dead in Sliema Sunday morning.
Cutajar, who has spoken out about gender-based abuse before, referred to other cases that happened over the last few years, saying that the rate of incidents was “alarming”.
Since the murder, 20-year-old Abner Aquilina has been apprehended by police, though questions now arise over his state of mental health, and whether any other religious organisations such as River of Love have any connection.
“If the young man really was suffering from mental health problems, then, as a state, we’ve failed doubly so,” she said.
“We failed because we were unable to give him the care he needed in an environment where he can’t hurt himself or others.”
“We’ve also failed because as a state and as a society we somehow got it into his head that a woman is a much easier target than a man.”
“This woman wasn’t killed because the alleged murderer suffers from mental health problems, but because she’s a woman,” Cutajar ended clearly.
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.
He has since been referred to Mount Carmel Hospital, while police struggle to find any link between him and his victim.
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.
What do you think of Cutajar’s perspective?
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