Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/176463
7 News maltatoday, SUNDAY, 22 SEPTEMBER 2013 'Mosta cat-killer' reward fund raises €400 in five days 'Somebody knows but is too afraid to talk' – Malta Cat Club RAPHAEL VASSALLO A fund aimed at eliciting information leading to the arrest of Mosta's resident 'cat killer' – responsible for periodically 'crucifying' dead cats (and in some cases dogs) to the town's religious landmarks, usually leaving a trademark note at the scene of the crime – has attracted €400 in donations since it was set up by the Malta Cat Club last Monday. But so far no one has stepped forward with any new information about a spate of crimes dating back to October 2011, all committed within a small radius at the heart of one of Malta's busiest and most populated towns. Seven cats and two dogs have so far been found crucified in Mosta in just under two years. The first four feline victims were all found nailed to upside-down wooden crosses, in incidents spaced roughly one month apart, starting from January 2012. One was found nailed to the gate of a chapel in St Anton Abbati Street, while two others were affixed to roadside statues of saints. Of the puppies which earlier suffered the same fate, one was found nailed to the front door of the Mosta oratory. It is not excluded that the other case in which a dead dog was also found nailed to door a Mosta – this time of a private residence – may be an unrelated incident connected to another Edwin Vassallo crime: the 1999 murder of Maria Buhagiar by her brother Francis, allegedly in an argument over a burnt slice of toast. But in some of the other cases, hand-written notes were discovered attached to the animal carcasses, all containing variations of the same theme: that the perpetrator, who claims to have been sexually abused as a child, had "suffered more" than his animal victims. With the latest in a string of almost identical crimes occurring on the 16th of this month, questions are now being asked about how an unnamed individual can keep getting away with an apparent escalation of sadistic crimes, without ever being identified or even seen. Malta Cat Club president Marvic Attard Gialanze explains that it was this anomaly that prompted the idea of recompense in the first place. "There is now a very visible pattern to all this," she told MaltaToday. "The crimes tend to take place around the 16th of the month, and for the most part in the same places. The religious icons this persons targets are also always the same. I am not a forensic psychologist, but it is difficult not to see a regular pattern in all this." Attard Gialanze also expresses sur- Cat paws nailed to a cross, found last Monday in Mosta prise at how the perpetrator manages to commit his misdeeds right under the noses of the general public, without anyone ever noticing anything suspicious. "It is a mystery how, in such a busy area, no one ever noticed someone who must have carried a number of objects, including a large cross, to be able to do those things. People don't normally walk around the streets with dead cats nailed to crosses. So how come nobody has ever noticed anything like that in two years? Either they are not very observant, or else some people are in the know, but may be too scared to speak up." It was to address this general reluctance to come forward that the Malta Cat Club decided to offer a reward as an incentive. Attard Gialanze confirms that public response was substantial: adding that, should the perpetrator be brought to justice without anyone claiming the reward, the money will not go to waste as it will be donated to registered cat sanctuaries. "We are aware that the police have leads to follow and are taking their investigations seriously. I don't blame the police for the situation. Like others we are surprised that no one has been apprehended after two years, but I don't think it's fair to place all the blame on the police. They need cast-iron evidence to make an arrest. Anyone can have suspicions, but suspicion is not enough. People have to step forward with what they know about the case, which is why we are offering this reward." The initiative enjoys the support of the Animal Welfare Department, whose director Joseph Vella shares the MCC's concern with the lack of information surrounding this case. "It is worrying that such acts can be performed in such a public place, yet nobody seems to know anything about them whatsoever," he said. "What worries me is that if a person treats animals in this way, the chances are he will have no respect for human life, either." However, Vella is reluctant to draw the conclusion that we are, in fact, dealing with a psychopath or mentally disturbed individual who may turn his attention to human victims. "That is one possibility, but there are others," he said. "The motive behind these crimes is not clear. The Marvic Attard Gialanze perpetrator could be leaving misleading notes on purpose, to give the impression that he is a deranged individual in need of help. But there may be other reasons. It may be even be the work of a group of people, and not one person at all." With so many question marks surrounding the case, Vella reasons that the idea to offer a reward could help get to the bottom of a situation that has exacerbated public patience. Even without the reward, he urges people to share any information they may have. "I would say that if people have information that could help the police in their investigations, they are morally obliged to come forward." But all along there is a dilemma facing all interested parties: from the police, to the Malta Cat Club, to the press that covers stories such as these. Should such acts be exposed to public attention? If the cat killer is indeed seeking nothing more than the thrill of publicity… wouldn't initiatives such as the offer of a reward (or even articles about such offers, including this one) be indulging this selfsame desire, and therefore also encouraging more crimes? Edwin Vassallo, a former MP from Mosta, shares this very concern. "Let's just say that the popular sentiment in Mosta at the moment is not exactly one of appreciation for these acts," he replies when asked what impact (if any) this situation has had on community life in the busy town. "It's never nice for your town to be associated with such things. People are asking: why here? Why Mosta?" But it's not the only question that is being asked. Vassallo echoes the sentiments of many Mostin when he points out that the string of crimes seems to convey a 'message' that no one seems capable of interpreting. "Normally when there is a crime that shocks people, the first thing you ask is: what was the motive? Why did this happen?" In most 'normal' crimes, he goes on, there will be an answer to this question: be it money, family feuds or such like. "But in this case… what's the motive? What's the message? It seems to be totally irrational." Vassallo also openly doubts whether it will even be possible to take criminal action, should the perpetrator be caught. "It depends on a number of factors: one of them being, were the animals alive or dead when he did what he did to them?" If the animals were alive, then charges could be brought forward on the basis of animal cruelty laws. "But if the animals were dead, and it cannot be proved they were killed by the same person… what law could they charge him for breaking? I don't know the answer myself, but unfortunately it is not a clear-cut situation." Lastly, Vassallo questions the wisdom of drawing public attention to the issue in the first place. "Maybe this person, whoever it is, wants nothing more than for his actions to be reported in the news. Sometimes I get the feeling that in cases like these, the more silence, the better." Donations to the reward fund may be made through Paypal toadministration@maltacatclub.com or on IBAN no MT04MMEB44495000000049031883050. Donors are request to include their name and email address on every donation to receive a receipt. The association is a fullyregistered NGO and authorized to collect the donations.