A magistrate reprimanded the police because a man who killed his pet pit bull with a wooden stick after it bit and seriously injured a 12-year-old boy was not charged with animal cruelty.
Magistrate Miriam Hayman pointed out that this was "a serious shortcoming by the prosecution" in the course of the investigations into an incident where the boy was bitten.
Joseph Coleiro, 53, of Siġġiewi, was charged with keeping the dog without a police licence and with failing to look after the animal when it attacked and bit the boy twice.
The incident took place on April 24, 2004, when Mr Coleiro was at a club in his home town. His son and his friend were at home playing a computer game while the dog was locked inside the garage.
The court heard that at one stage, the boys were playing with the dog when they decided to let him loose. The dog bit the friend on the leg and then sank his teeth into his hand.
Mr Coleiro testified that when he returned home he learnt about the incident. He said he took the dog to the garage and hit it with a wooden stick, killed it and then disposed of the carcass.
"Quite frankly, this is a shortcoming by the prosecution in the way they investigated this case. The prosecution failed to prove the incident took place because the accused had failed to take care of the dog. His biggest fault was killing the animal in the most cruel and inhuman manner, which only goes to show his gross ignorance. Mr Coleiro should answer to this too," the court noted.
She found him guilty of keeping a dog without a licence and fined him €11.65. He was cleared of the other charge.
It is not known whether the police will charge Mr Coleiro with cruelty to animals since questions sent to the police remained unanswered.
According to information given in Parliament recently, 18 people have so far this year been arraigned over animal cruelty, compared to eight for the whole of last year.
Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici said four of the accused this year lived in Qormi, three in St Paul's Bay, two each in Rabat and Birkirkara and one each at St Julians, Żurrieq, Mellieħa, Vittoriosa, Bidnija, Marsaxlokk and Msida.