I am a community nurse working in the Sliema district. I had a very bad experience last week which I would like to share.

During one of my busy mornings tending to my patients I got a puncture; this, unfortunately, put me behind my work schedule and I had to transfer my nursing materials from the boot of my car to the back seat. I carried on the morning procedure as soon as it was fixed.

When I got to my last patient, I forgot to lock the backseat door. Needless to say, the next time I left my car someone helped themselves to my personal handbag on the passenger seat. One careless moment on my part turned into a nightmare.

I lost my MP3 player, a camera, my credit cards, ID card, driving licence, money, keys and all sorts of things that a woman carries around every day.

I was devastated. especially knowing it was nobody's fault but my own.

After beating myself up about it for a couple of days I realised that I cannot turn back the clock.

A few days after the incident I got a phone call from the Sliema police station. The officer asked me to go there as the superintendent wanted to have a word with me.

I asked what it was about and she said it was in connection with the report I had made earlier in the week, but she did not elaborate. She used my full name, so I thought perhaps somebody had found my ID card and handed it into the police.

I went to the police station on a Sunday morning and was shown into the superintendent's office, where a senior official was also present. He leafed through the report and asked me whether I had left the car door unlocked. I said yes and he said what I did was very careless and that I was asking the thief to rob me.

I explained that I was running late, I had 40 patients to see that day, and that I have already paid dearly for my mistake. He didn't think this was punishment enough so for the next five minutes I was soundly berated for being silly, stupid and careless.

I started looking for a hidden camera because I couldn't believe my ears. I asked him if this was the only reason I had been brought to the station on a Sunday morning. Was it just to call me careless and stupid?

He said that was not the case and I asked again why I was there and they were both unable to answer so I got up. As I walked out, I told them that what they did to me that morning made me feel like a little schoolgirl getting my hand slapped by the headmaster for being a naughty girl.

My husband, who was waiting for me in the car, asked me what happened and I told him that two very powerful men needed a power trip and thought I would be today's prey.

I thought it would be interesting for taxpayers to know that on double time Sunday, two men called victims of crime to their office to tell them how stupid they were.