“It’s terrifying – we are living in country where children can’t go out anywhere,” one mother told Lovin Malta.

“One was assaulted and kicked in the head, another boy who had the fractures was bleeding and couldn’t get up,” she continued.

“In my eyes, Valletta should be safe for teenagers to go out eating for a couple of hours and then get picked up and go home,” the mother said. “They weren’t drinking or doing anything, and some parents were nearby and on site… but we are all shocked at what happened now.”

With parents lamenting how one boy will now be left with a scar on his leg for life due to the attack, the feeling is clear: “I can’t let my daughter or son go out… who knows who is going to attack them next.”

They urged Maltese authorities to “make sure the criminals are incriminated” and that the victims “aren’t further victimised”.

Following the attack, many people commented online about these gangs long being a feature of Malta’s capital city, though they had seemed to disappear in recent years. However, they seem to be back and targeting innocent teenagers once again.