Sliema’s vandalised Madonna statue under restoration

A.f Ellul

Jul 28th 2012, 09:30

If this statue is broken by an accident, the person must send a letter what happened, but if this is a vindication, it is better for that person to pray to God for forgiveness and never to this again .read the first commandment that says, in Maltese “Ghax jien,il-Mulej Alla Tieghek,Alla ghajjur.li nhallas dnubiet missier fl-ulied sat-tielet u sar-raba’ nisel ta dawk li joboghduni; u naghmel hniena sa elf sena ma dawk li jhobbuni u jharsu l-kmandamenti tieghi. (Esodu 19:20)

D. A . Agius

Jul 27th 2012, 20:43

Simple case... an idiot or more blind drunk and took it on the statue. Could have been your car, public property, etc.

Why the fuss? Judging what happens in the St. Julain's Swieqi and Sliema area this sounds normal.

Ah... sorry. Super Catholic Malta!

Let's wait for a CAtholic MOnument protection group now...

Elvin Muscat

Jul 27th 2012, 19:15

A statue could be replaced, and vandalism is very wrong but punishment is not the only answer. We have multi-cultural religions thanks to the EU, but I doubt they were to blame. The area has a lot of young juvenile's, with nothing better to do but annoy people and fight or argue amongst themselves. A few more foot patrols between 7pm and 1am in the morning would very quickly remove these problematic juveniles.

Kenneth Galea

Jul 27th 2012, 18:26

@Censu Figolli

Have you got any respect for our Lady? Shame on you.

S. Azzopardi

Jul 27th 2012, 17:04

It's a shame and a disgrace. Vandalism is the act of cowards. People who believe themselves bullies but who in reality are too scared to assert themselves in a critical and constructive way. In a sense I pity the person/s involved and sincerely hope that they are found out, to be given the help and if necessary the punishment by law they deserve.

Vandalism against a religious statue takes a more serious connotation because it attacks the religious beliefs it represents. In this instance it was the statue of Our Lady and as a Catholic I feel myself offended by this act. But even if it the statue represented any other form of religious belief that would still make it extreemly wrong. Everyone has the right to express his/her religious beliefs and noone has the right to attack in any way such beliefs.

Melvyn Mifsud LLD

Jul 27th 2012, 16:24

Vandalism is vandalism - whether it is involves religious matters or otherwise. Naturally, it offends more the Maltese people, owing to our religious belief and many devotees of Our Lady.

But the act and any similiar act , is always a crime.

I would also appreciate the comment (by email) to my emails, sent to the Sliema Local Council - regarding another incident which occurred a few weeks back - a couple of hundred meters away. To date, I have not received any written reply. Although, damage has been suffered.

julian caruana

Jul 27th 2012, 14:34

Dear all.

Stop and think for a minute:

try to reflect on what that statue of the madonna would tell you to do with these VANDALS....

cesco di luigi

Jul 27th 2012, 13:57

The most significanrt piece of vandalism in that area was the erecting of the edifice on the beach that houses the restaurant of the EXiles Water Polo Club and ruined (besides the beach itself) the nice view, but there was no Madonna there, so no one made such a fuss> I wonder, are there views in heaven, or just statues?

Charles Muscat

Jul 27th 2012, 13:57

This is Sliema not Qawra or Hamrun.

Matthew Grima

Jul 27th 2012, 13:49

"Sliema mayor Anthony Chircop said the case was particularly serious because the statue was religious"

No it's not. Vandalism is serious enough on its own. Just because this happened to be a statue of a religious figure means nothing, and should not have any effect on the punishment given.

Alexander Pace Gouder.

Jul 27th 2012, 13:47

Vandaism in the St.Julians and Sliema area from last week is on the increase. Only this morning round 6.30am I noticed in Paceville vandalised various plants and pots belonging to two different restaurants thrown in the middle of the street (This street is a no entry one) and on the pavement in another street . Also another act which is being effected during late at night mostly after midnight and in the early hours of the day is the ringing of Doorbells in various streets in St.Julians. Also Graffiti are appearing on various walls and also facades of private residents. This morning, a landmark, The Red Telephone Box in Balluta Square ( which has on various occassion been the target of vandals,mainly the breaking of glass, was being repaired and serviced) Lets hope that it will not be vandalised again. If it does this will probably be the seventh time. Meantime hope that the Statue will be restored as many have now got used to saying the Rosary in front of this statue. Also on certain days Group rosery is said.

John Spiteri

Jul 27th 2012, 13:29

What I don't understand is why IVF and divorce is considered socially acceptable by many, but smashing up a religious statue made of stone is disturbing and unacceptable. IVF is destructive method, destroying human embroys, which form unique individuals not stone statues, which are replaceable! Divorce destroys marriage and children and is contary to the teachings of Christ!
I think a lot of people have truely mixed up values on this island. I could say there are a lot of hypocrites living here!

Reuben Zammit

Jul 27th 2012, 13:14

I don't know, Mr. Chircop, I would say vandalism of trees was much more 'particularly serious' than that of religious imagery, yet it happens on a regular basis, even by the government

Anthony Arpa

Jul 27th 2012, 12:56

We rarely see police patrols as in the past ..

E. Azzopardi

Jul 27th 2012, 12:03

We need the streets and roads to be "properly" supervised. They are not and have not been for ages.

Joseph Grech Attard

Jul 27th 2012, 12:00

Most things in life follow all shades- of-grey pattern. Such actions do not. They are simply deplorable.

Satanists do exist in Malta and one can perceive and think about them in such actions, especially since the Lady of Massabielle told us she is the Immaculate Conception, and, from the beginning of humanity, She has been made to crush the serpent's head.

All other religions admire Mary, including Moslems, who call her Myryam and claim she is the Virgin Mother of Jesus, the prophet.

A. Farrugia

Jul 27th 2012, 11:37

A statue of Our Lady in a public garden has both religious value and cultural significance in Malta. It is the people who desired it to be there. I believe it is a more serious act of vandalism when one damages something that is more significant than simple "garden furniture" (which has hardly anything more than aesthetic and functional value, I suppose).

This said, any act of vandalism is more than an 'exceptional' expression of an individual's troubled mind: I think it is a sign of society's sickness and ought to be condemned especially since lack of respect of people and property is increasing it seems. Remember those cars damaged willy nilly in Sliema a few weeks ago?

Moreover, denigrating the religious symbols that enshrine our more precious values and our Maltese heritage is another symptom of the shallowness of parts of our society. Our eyes are connected to our brains, and we need to see beyond a statue (any statue and any symbol, actually) to what it is pointing to, to what it is saying about us and the society we are creating, don't we?

John Scerri

Jul 27th 2012, 11:24

Such acts are the result of SICK minds who need help.

Paul Azzopardi

Jul 27th 2012, 11:05

Would it make sense to put a camera? You might never know it would be likely to happen again considering where it is........

Mr Duncan Scerri

Jul 27th 2012, 10:53

"Anthony Chircop said the case was particularly serious because the statue was religious"

Makes no difference. Vandalism is always bad. To attempt to make this out to be more important because it has a mythical association is farcical. Stop it, Anthony, you belittle the victims of other crimes.

Joseph Sultana

Jul 27th 2012, 10:34

I cannot simply understand the logic in vandalism....

Kenneth Galea

Jul 27th 2012, 10:26

I simply don't know what this country has come to. Sick minds and ignorant people who commit these acts of vandalism. But then again they just get away with it, a smack on the wrist.
Saudi Arabia is a prime example of hardly any crime or vandalism, it is punished by chopping off both hands. But the EU will never dream of bringing in such laws, they are too politically correct.

C Cassar

Jul 27th 2012, 09:57

Well, in the early hours of the morning earlier this week, some of the trees along the pavement of Spinola bay were vandalised. This has happened before. The source of these acts comes from those who hang around Spinola bay between the restaurants and the Cavalieri hotel. Each morning there are empty bottles of alcohol, wine beer cans all over the area near the benches. Sure this gets cleaned up by the council each morning but the drunken yobs who then leave this area walk along the promenade on their way back to wherever they came from and cause a multitude of damage to public property. Just take a stroll in this area between 3am and 6am and see.

What''s needed is an enforced ban on alcohol consumption along the area with benches in Spinola bay as has been implemented in Paceville/Spinola gardens. This area is also just 2mins away from St Julians police station and yet the police never bother to check once an hour what's going on down there.

Lucienne Dimech

Jul 27th 2012, 09:54

No act of vandalism should go unpunished. On the other hand I do not think that there should be signs of ANY religion in public gardens or any other public place for that matter. I hope that whoever did this act will be caught and punished not because he broke a religious symbol but because he committed an act of vandalism it could have been that he broke garden furniture or the fountain.