Friends find streaker’s behaviour surprising

The Italian girl who stripped naked outside the Sta Venera tunnels was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol according to test results, sources said.

The 25-year-old’s behaviour, which surprised those closest to her, may have been caused by a medical condition. But she is still under observation at Mater Dei Hospital’s neurological ward where tests are being carried out.

Her parents arrived on the island yesterday to be with their daughter, who came to Malta last week to learn English with a childhood friend.

Sources said the young woman was under stress, having recently lost her job and had not slept for about three days. She started acting “strangely” in class on Tuesday morning.

“She was aggressive with others... I noticed there was something wrong. She was looking at me in a strange way and was not even blinking at times,” classroom sources said.

On Tuesday evening she went out with her friend but ran away from him at about midnight. On Wednesday morning she was spotted walking on the dotted white line outside the Sta Venera tunnels at about 8.40.

Police officers who were passing by stopped to help her but she resisted and tried to run away. She then took off all her clothes and ran towards the traffic heading in the direction of the University.

As officers tried to stop her, she became aggressive and started shouting for help in Italian: “Aiuto, Aiuto”. “She was in a state of confusion and said she was seeing things that were not there,” police sources said.

She then collapsed on the pavement and the police officers tried to help her up but did not manage. They picked her clothes up and asked passing cars if they had anything to cover the woman with. A woman stopped, offering a sheet which was used to cover the naked woman.

Eventually, a police mobile car drew up and she was helped in it and taken to hospital.