Crib thieves strike again

Alex Ellul

Dec 27th 2008, 00:05

@Marcel Dingli: Thanks for standing up for me.
@S. Agius: I had my tongue pressed hard against the inside of my cheek.

jason scicluna

Dec 26th 2008, 21:47

If the crib had consisted of polar bears, like the one in Birmingham airport, would baby bear have been stolen?

T Vella

Dec 26th 2008, 21:37

St Joseph looks so forlorn and lonely in the photo above...he looks like a single parent who cannot see his child. There, in that wifeless & childless crib, he is representing many fathers in Malta.

antonella dingli

Dec 26th 2008, 21:31

Maybe if the crib consisted of black pasturi Baby Jesus wouldn't get nicked.

Marianna Galea Xuereb

Dec 26th 2008, 18:05

You greatly disappoint me G.Zammit. A throwaway addict’s garbage might be a creative person’s craft material. People who are capable of re-using other’s rubbish should be admired and lauded not made fun of. Thrift and re-cycling are virtues and particularly important for environmental and economic sustainability.
Conversely, this news item is about pure theft and vandalism.

We cannot really hope to catch the perpetuators of this and many other types of crime unless we invest in more CCTV cameras. Honest citizens should be pro strong and continuous surveillance and not argue about blatant liberty and misplaced privacy issues.

Marcel Dingli

Dec 26th 2008, 16:51

@ S Agius
Didnt you realise that Alex Ellul was pulling a few legs?

Nadia Camilleri

Dec 26th 2008, 14:44

All this shows what this country has become .... ruthless, egotistic, selfish and heartless. And we pride ourselves of being Roman Catholics!! This country is becoming a modern anarchy ... no rules, respect and order.

C. Bonello

Dec 26th 2008, 14:27

I condemn the actions of the crib thieves. However i find it amusing that Malta is doing a National issue about such a ridiculous matter. The whole crib is worth 200Euros, meaning that the baby statue would be less than 50 Euro worth.
The vandalisms taking place regularly in our UNESCO protected Neolitic Temples and other precious Maltese Heritage sites are far more disturbing than a 50 euro worth stolen clay-baby-statue.
Most likely it will be spotted behind some fancy blinking las-vegas styled window display.

S.Agius

Dec 26th 2008, 13:33

@ Alex Ellul - This would be the greatest mistake that our country will do if we take away the things you mentioned when you said "It's politically correct. No cribs, no Jesus, no Chistmas, no crosses in the cemetery...."

If we do such a thing than the goverment must take also away the 25th of December from the Public Holidays....for Christmas is Jesus and nothing else. I didn't take the tone you said it...sarcastic or seriously!!!.

One last thought...the thieves will not strike in the hearts of those who prepared seriously for Christmas....to you a Blessed Christmas all year round and a Happy New Year.

G.Zammit

Dec 26th 2008, 11:04

In the past i have thrown out broken toys, we have even made bets on how long the broken toy was going to last outside the house before some one would take it, beating the garbage collectors before they come and collect the rubbish. Guess what??? We always won the bet.
Its unbelieveable.
So a story like this does not surprise me at all.

Lino debono

Dec 26th 2008, 09:57

You will agree that we have a culture of stealing-shame

J. Mamo

Dec 26th 2008, 00:26

I also noticed today that Baby Jesus was also stolen from the Mdina crib.

Tonio Bugeja

Dec 25th 2008, 20:41

a few words- This country has really turned sick! we have really scraped the bottom! All sense of decency has been lost! May the good Lord have mercy on us!

deb bugeja

Dec 25th 2008, 18:01

Could there be a connection with this theft and the vandasilm of the cemetries?

Joseph Schembri (Zabbar)

Dec 25th 2008, 10:43

I once witnessed an old woman walk by a flower bed in a public garden pull up a plant and quickly deposit it in her bag. It all happened in a couple of seconds and I couldn't believe my eyes because she was the typical elderly woman you see with rosary beads in hand sitting alone in an empty church. So I don't think it makes sense to blame youths, satanists and what have you for the theft of the plastic statues. And let's admit it anyone who thinks that they were worth stealing deserves to have them because they were kitsch and camp in the real sense of the words. These were not vandals but people who have an 'mgewwhin' mentality. Other examples of this are the elderly couple I saw walking off with armfuls of wild narcissus from the Ta Cenc garigue, probably to put in front of some statue or worse still to sell.

There is even a term for this kind of behaviour in environmental economics, it is called the 'Tragedy of the Commons'.

joseph farrugia

Dec 24th 2008, 22:00

the graveyard in kirkop massacre is a very cowardly act indeed. these people most propably havent got the guts to face a man face to face, but instead they fight with a stone without any retaliation. cowards. why wouldnt you leave the dead to rest in peace. and again another jesus stolen from a crib. we have to deploy the AFM i guess with every crib. shame on these people without a heart.

Albert gauci Cunningham

Dec 24th 2008, 19:22

sorry have to say it in Maltese"......dawn vera nies mejtin bil-guh, trid tkun vera mejjet bil-guh biex taghmel moqzizati bhal dawn!!! Jaaaqqq!!!" The MUSEUM society gives free cribs by the way, just in case these "mejtin bil-guh" need a Jesus to decorate their living rooms!!!

David Zarb

Dec 24th 2008, 19:01

@ Joseph Cauchi

(Just a little joke)

Apperantly the limits down to which "we" can go low are unimaginable. Haven't you seen what they've done at Kirkop's cemetery? Yes, some can go lower :) lower down the earth's surface :)

Shame on those who do such things. Happy Xmas to everyone.

Paul Barrett

Dec 24th 2008, 18:32

Their is a red dye that they use to booby trap money in transit by the banks = it explodes covering the money and the person taking the money with red dye which takes days and days to get off.

It would appear that a version of this type of booby trap needs to be invented and used to safeguard newly planted trees and plants as well as items that are potentially attractive or open to vandalism. Even if such traps do not actually catch these people it will cause them considerable inconvenience in having to keep out of sight for a week or so.

N Thomas

Dec 24th 2008, 17:58

Probably drunk kids going home after a night out in P'Ville. I can't help but wonder if this would have happened had the first 'robbery' not been given so much publicity. With so much going on, is this really newsworthy? .

K. Vella

Dec 24th 2008, 16:31

I appreciate believers' sensitivity on such matters, but with all due respect, why don't we ever hear in the papers about trees and plants being uprooted and stolen from roundabouts, or government stationery and other items being stolen, unscrupulously, by government employees from their workplace?

I'm sure these systematic thefts have cost taxpayers much more than €200. They have also caused much greater moral harm to society at large, directly or indirectly. And please, don't suggest we install CCTVs in every government office and looking over every single roundabout, lest you herald us into an Orwellian nightmare. It's all a matter of education and civic values – something the Maltese miserably lack.

Kenneth Galea

Dec 24th 2008, 16:30

@joe Galea
Well written comment Joe. This country is sliding slowly into utter chaos and anarchy. To me this sounds like an erosion of our Catholic beliefs rather than stealing. I hope the culprits when caught are sent down to prison for LIFE!!!!!

Charlo Seychell

Dec 24th 2008, 16:19

Is it the Grinch trying to steal Christmas? Let's not allow such mishaps ruin Christmas.

Joseph Borg

Dec 24th 2008, 16:14

L-aqwa li hemm camera biex jekk taqbez is-60kph malajr tehel multa u mbghad mhix kapaci taqbad dawn il-barbari!!

J Borg

Dec 24th 2008, 16:09

I blame all this on our Judiciary system.

Discipline is today a luxury and Malta is very fast branding itself as the 'LAWLESS ISLAND'.

Dear Minister responsible for law and order - PLEASE ACT FAST !

Alex Ellul

Dec 24th 2008, 15:12

It's politically correct. No cribs, no Jesus, no Chistmas, no crosses in the cemetery....

mike coles

Dec 24th 2008, 14:43

i thought we had all the cretins in this country.Happy christmas to all on your island. mike coles

Laurence Brincat

Dec 24th 2008, 14:09

@ M Dingli & R Borg

I tend to agree with you gents. Too much of a coincidence I say, 2 Baby Jesuses and the Kirkop Cemetry. This is being done on purpose. Keep your eyes open all you people of good will.

A Merry Christmas to ALL

B Sant

Dec 24th 2008, 13:49

its the sorry state our society is in some small minded people steal cribs from roundaouts others steal much more and no one would even notice or dare speak up...just look around

James A. Tyrrell

Dec 24th 2008, 13:19

Illegal bird trapping. Illegal hunting. Young trees destroyed. Graveyards vandalised. Baby Jesus and Madonna stolen from a crib. Robberies in broad daylight. Women raped. Innocent young children's lives destroyed by paedophile scum. Attempted murder and murder. What has happened to the beautiful islands of Malta and Gozo?

Ronnie Gauci

Dec 24th 2008, 12:57

Maybe the thieves will put it back at midnight according to tradition since He's not born yet.

Sandro Agius

Dec 24th 2008, 12:42

Guys, lets not leave such ignorant people leave an impact on how we celebrate Christmas. Lets give an answer to those "ignorants" by attending this evening to the Dimostration that will be held in every village and town in Malta. A very blessed Christmas to you, dear Christians and people of good will.

Joe Xuereb (London UK)

Dec 24th 2008, 11:53

Even as a secularist, I find this distressing. It is impossible to start to think who the perpetrators might be but keeping in mind it could be nothing more sinister than a sick prank.
The times are such, and so many people's insecurities, commensurate, that a matchbox, like the 'proverbial' glass, half full or half empty, (depending on one's attitude to life) of spent matches will be swiped in no time if left unattended. Sign of the times. The age of innocence is well and truly over. There are no truly acceptable solutions to this kind of thing. A truly cohesive society, one where everybody was materially secure, inside and out, would go some way towards preventing this sort of thing happening. And pigs might fly of course.

Marcel Dingli

Dec 24th 2008, 11:30

Yes this is the way of celebrating Christmas for satanists.

R Borg

Dec 24th 2008, 11:24

Satanizmu ? Meta tqis dak li gara fic-cimiterju ta Kirkop?

d. borg

Dec 24th 2008, 11:20

Shame on you!! Is this your way of celebrating Christmas?

Steve Borg

Dec 24th 2008, 11:19

What a shame that some individuals have no concept of communal sharing, especially by Christmas statuettes that symbolise what most of us believe in as a feast of happiness.

Joe Galea

Dec 24th 2008, 11:12

Guh kbir u stress qawwi hawn f'dan il-pajjiz!! Glied, sparar u serq biss smajna l-ahhar dawn gimghatejn. Veru Milied Hieni!!!

P_ Attard

Dec 24th 2008, 11:08

this is absolutely sickening. This confirms the need for cameras scattered all round the island

TRW O'Neill

Dec 24th 2008, 11:07

If they are caught & charged, no doubt they would be given a suspended sentance, rather than agood thrashing, bring back the stocks for scum like this.

Matthew Borg

Dec 24th 2008, 11:04

What a downright disgrace... it's bad enough stealing something, but to stoop so low to steal from illuminated cribs is on another level altogether.

A real shame, such people have no conscience whatsoever.

Brian Maloret

Dec 24th 2008, 10:51

This news article and the one about the vandalism of graves in the cemetry at Kirkop adequately illustrates the lengths that antisocial individuals will go to to cause distresss and concern to the law abiding citizens of Malta who, fortunately, are in the majority. The low life who have committed these crimes should be severely punished when they are caught.

Joe Saliba

Dec 24th 2008, 10:39

And what about trees and plants being stolen from roundabouts? In my opinion the best solution would be that of offering cash rewards to any people submitting information about thefts from public places. For the last year trees have been planted repeatedly on both sides of the road leading from Attard to Rabat, only to be stolen after a few days. I cannot believe that in the post modern era there is no solution to these thefts eg. wireless cameras or undercover investigators.

stefania soler

Dec 24th 2008, 10:27

Some people really need to get a life in order to stop acting in such a low, despicable, ignorant manner.

Herbert Guillaumier

Dec 24th 2008, 10:27

Sick minds are always on the loose. And no one can nontrole them. Happy Christmas

frank vella

Dec 24th 2008, 10:24

there are no words against these vandals except 'shame on you and those who support your vandalism acts'

Carla Borg

Dec 24th 2008, 10:21

Mejtin bil-guh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

C.Sapiano

Dec 24th 2008, 10:20

What a shame

Happy Christmas to everyone

r,agius

Dec 24th 2008, 10:18

I can't imagine the reason why these despicable persons are stealing the statues. Surely they don't have the cheek to display them in their homes for veneration knowing that they were stolen.

Joseph Cauchi

Dec 24th 2008, 10:16

How low can we go?