Abner Aquilina Accused Of Stabbing Patient In The Eye At Mount Carmel
Abner Aquilina, the man currently awaiting trial for the brutal rape and murder of 29-year-old Polish student Paulina Dembska in January 2022, is now facing fresh allegations of violence. The 22-year-old, who is being held at Mount Carmel Hospital’s forensic unit due to concerns over his mental health, has been accused of stabbing another patient in the eye with a pen during an incident in 2023.
The victim, Charlo Cutajar, testified in court that tensions had been building between the two in their shared hospital ward. He claimed Aquilina had previously thrown dirt into their shared sugar container and that, the next day, Aquilina suddenly stabbed him in the right eye without provocation.
Another patient, Mark Gatt, who witnessed the incident, confirmed in court that the stabbing occurred while they were placing a purchase order in the ward. Gatt described Aquilina as turning around abruptly and carrying out the attack without warning.
Aquilina gained national attention in Malta following his arrest for the murder of Dembska, whose body was found strangled and sexually assaulted in a public garden in Sliema. The case shocked the country and led to renewed public discourse on violence against women and mental health accountability.