Vandals strike scenic chapel
Vandals have struck at one of the most scenic spots in Malta, splashing paint on the historic chapel at Dingli Cliffs.
The vandalism, which took place between yesterday and today, was condemned by Dingli local council, which said that such acts shamed the perpetrators. It viewed this as an attempt to hinder the embellishment work which the council has been carrying out in the area.
The council augured that the police would be able to arraign whoever was responsible.
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In Discussion
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32 Comments
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Tony Borg
May 29th 2008, 01:00
No need to be ashamed to call oneself Maltese. There are idiots damaging properties all over the world. What I would be more interested in is what happens to these idiots when caught, just a slap on the hand?? That's what happens here in Australia; there is a whole army of do-gooders bringing all sorts of excuses as to why these tugs behave the way they do. If one does wrong one must face the consequences; and the consequences should be a big deterrent.
C.Caruana
May 28th 2008, 18:26
No amount of vandalisim by super idiots will shame me being Maltese. I am proud of what I am and where I come from. It is not Maltese to vandalise things. In fact, Ms. Camilleri, by stating that you are ashamed of being Maltese, you have vandalised your heritage. Although I am sure you did so unknowingly and only out of seeing red after this kind of vandalisim.
Steven Bonello
May 28th 2008, 17:48
@J.Borg , ABC
As a matter of interest I had queried with MEPA at the time this out-of-place railing had been put up and the reply was that the wooden railing was not covered by a permit. Probably good old MEPA sanctioned it later on....even though this is a case where street furniture of this sort is definitely out of place (i.e U-G-L-Y). I am not saying that some form of discreet protective railing should not be put up behind the chapel overlooking the cliff but let's face it no other wayside chapel in Malta has a wooden "nofs zuntier". Incidentally Dingli Council had ignored my query at the time even though I had copied them in on my query to MEPA.
maria attard
May 28th 2008, 14:21
It's not a question of being ashamed of being Maltese because these things happen everywhere.The actual problem is inertia to report vandals and/or vandalism. Or a typical characteristic of Maltese ( similar to that of Sicilians) is wearing BLINKERS - pretending not to see or hear - fearing repercussions! No wonder so many bullies around.
Jimmy John M Vella
May 28th 2008, 11:40
Disgusting. Shameful. Ignorant. Pathetic. Unbelievable - NOTHING MORE TO ADD!
Jimmy John M Vella
Rita Camilleri
May 28th 2008, 08:26
I am so ashamed to be Maltese!!!!
Joe Galea
May 28th 2008, 08:18
This country is going from bad to worse!!!
L Sammut
May 28th 2008, 08:08
This is only another from a series of vandal acts taking place in the area. I would like to mendtion that since some months new planted trees at the road between Attard and Rabat are being stolen (practically every night) without anybody taking any action to stop this non-sense.
maria barbara
May 28th 2008, 05:46
What on earth did the ones who threw the paint want to say with this gesture? Could they not have made their point elsewhere? I am glad I took my wedding pics near it some time ago. Imagine having planned to have the chapel in your wedding pics and you find it with paint!!! I cannot understand why people do this. Pictures aside, I have memories of this chapel since I herald from Dingli myself. Whoever it is, I hope the Dingli council takes off the paint immediately.
Maria Pia Cumbo
May 27th 2008, 23:37
@ J.Borg. The wise guy who dreamt of the wooden railings was a wise guy indeed. Hundreds of tourist visit that spot every day. It's one of the highest spots on the island, and usually very windy too. It's a safety platform. Why do we always have to be negative, even when some 'wise guy 'actually does something good. Or maybe we should wait until someone actually falls down to his death so we can then criticize the lack of safety etc etc...
Andrew Borg-Cardona
May 27th 2008, 23:04
Best comment, when you think about it, is J Borg's. Who, for Heaven's sake, thought up those railings? What is it about certain people, they have to over-decorate and prettify? I haven't been up there, but is there a plaque commemorating the inauguration of the railings by some big-wig? Wouldn't surprise me....
Kyle Pullicino
May 27th 2008, 22:50
Unbelievable. I frequently pass by the chapel there and can't believe how someone could have done something like this and I'm very angry at the moment!
Why? Why? Why?
J. Borg
May 27th 2008, 20:48
And who was the wise guy who dreamt of the wooden/iron railings?
Why can't we leave some places untouched?
Graham Crocker
May 27th 2008, 19:49
I've yet to hear any reports on how the Dog-burning case is going, and now this happens.
Yet I see a lot of police on the road, doing the work of traffic wardens.
I'm not one to go about supporting lynch mobs or acts of vigilantism, but there needs to be a deterrent to cases were the police can do nothing about it.
Seriously who in his right mind goes in the Worst part of Malta and damages the property of some well known criminal? Nobody and its pretty obvious why.
Yet here, they damage the property of every Maltese and nobody moves a finger.
I.e: It will happen again and again and again...until Infinitum...all so one dumbass laughs when he sees the photo of his "work" on the Times of Malta.
Malcolm Borg
May 27th 2008, 18:15
It's quite original to have a blue chapel on Dingli Cliffs!
I don't know what goes through these people's minds when they do such things. We're suffering their childish insensitivity.
I hope the vandal is caught, given a huge fine together with a 'cultural appreciation' course!
D Grech
May 27th 2008, 18:14
Personally I would'nt even report it but restore the damage immediately. The more the fuss the more the vandals will enjoy
M Cassar
May 27th 2008, 17:43
L Galea, I agree with your comment, although apart from paying for the damage, they must also be punished for what they've done....a few months of community service or something....
Paul J Pace
May 27th 2008, 17:33
Obo the Dingli LC I would like to make some clarifications:
- a week ago, the Dingli LC reported to the Police that red paint was splashed on the Chapel
- the Chapel belongs to the Dingli Parish
- there is no electricity in the area (true that nowadays there is solar energy cctv's)
Executive Sec.
Paul J Pace
C Vella
May 27th 2008, 17:32
POINTLESS!!!!
victor pulis
May 27th 2008, 17:22
I only hope that if or when the excuse for a human being is caught he/she is not described as mentally sick and given a light sentence or none at all. let us make an example of the perpetrator. let the court give out such a punishment that would ruin this barbarian both financially and psychologically.
L Galea
May 27th 2008, 16:54
Acts of cowardice by senseless individuals.
CCTV should be installed on every monument and anyone caught causing any damage be made to pay to reinstate the monument to its former glory.
Joseph Bonello
May 27th 2008, 16:51
It hurts ! Lets condemn the act not the 'sick' individual/s who perpetrated such act. Incidentally, this is not the first time that this chapel has been the target of vandalism. A few years ago the chapels's door was forced open and had to be replaced. Worse still, the original marble plaque with the words 'non gode l'immunita' ecclesialstica' was pulled off the wall intact. The present marble is only a replica.
Massimo Costa
May 27th 2008, 16:50
That chapel was one which I always liked very much, as it blended in so well with that beautiful area. I hope that it will be restored to look as it did before Bozo the Clown decided to turn it into his art project. I don't know if the vandalism was a show of retaliation against the Catholic Church in general, or just some Homer-Simpson-brained person demonstrating his intelligence which wouldn't even make a chicken envious. If it was some sort of anti-Church thing, why couldn't they have splashed paint over some ugly "modern" church?
John Schembri
May 27th 2008, 16:49
Saint Magdaline Chapel was restored some years ago by the Ministry of works , the Dingli local council continued to embellish the area and some irresponsible egoist wanted to deliver a message which no one in his right senses can understand.
I have seen destination and traffic signs daubed with paint on the road leading to Santa Lucia from the airport , on the road to Safi and in Blue Grotto avenue Zurrieq.
It is very hard to win this 'guerilla' war , no one has the faintest idea who the enemy could be?
Cameras are not the solution , we will end up with no privacy , education is the key.
Doris Sacco
May 27th 2008, 16:45
We need to organise a national "man-hunt" for these indespicable culprits, a massive CACCIA al ladro!!!!
Paul Barrett
May 27th 2008, 16:27
There would appear to be an unstable and very childish element that have nothing better to do than indulge in acts of vandalism - be it church, private or public property. It is extremely sad but they need little or no reason to do what they do other than to destroy.
steve.busuttil
May 27th 2008, 16:25
Its high time someone is caught and made to pay a high price for such acts.
While i do understand C.Caruana's comments, cctv cannot be installed all over Malta. We need to catch one of these guys and make a strong statement by imposing a skyhigh fine (thts where it hurts most).
At least this time we haven't had any fingers pointed at hunters hahaha (so far)!
Lisa Azzopardi
May 27th 2008, 16:17
disgusted!
Franco Farrugia
May 27th 2008, 16:09
First a dog was put on fire alive!
Now, vandalism at its worst.
Yes, we have some sick people around us and we have to identify them and bring them to justice. But real justice! Not just trying to understand motives, and treating them with silk gloves!
E.A. Micallef
May 27th 2008, 16:01
Would the brainless individual care to comment on his or her mindless act of vandalism. We would so like to understand what the message is that is being conveyed in this splash of blue paint, because we want to be an understanding, caring society, and help the idiot concerned in any way that we can. And it may be good therapy if he/she, under supervision, were made to restore the chapel to its former state.
Joe Mizzi
May 27th 2008, 15:53
pathetic !
C. Caruana
May 27th 2008, 15:45
Dear Council, apart from condeming it, which utimetly results in nothing tangible....what shall you be doing come tomorrow morning to protect this and other scenic areas in your area ?
Will you be making it a point to install CCTV in such areas for future use ? (even if the CCTV is bogus...there as a deterrent rather than actually filming).
I never really understood what condemning this and that has led to in the past. People who do such acts, are most probably the least mortified and less caring about condemnation. What people like that fear is being caught.