A lull hung over Safi and Kirkop as people tried to come to terms with the vandalism of the cemeteries in these two tranquil villages.

The Safi cemetery reopened to the public yesterday after it had been cleared up, and a number of people visited the graves of their relatives to assess the damage.

Since various Satanic symbols were found and some four crucifixes were turned upside down, many believe the cemetery had been used for a Black Mass which coincided with Christmas Eve.

Yesterday, several women were seen carrying buckets of water to cleanse the graves from any 'evil'. Most of them said they were angry, disgusted and saddened by what happened.

A teary-eyed woman who was frantically washing her husband's grave said, "Why can't they just leave them to rest in peace?"

A young lady who lost her father at a tender age said the cemetery should be blessed again since the sacred place was now tainted by the vandals. But most of all she was disappointed that she could not visit her father's grave on Christmas Day.

"When someone you love passes away, this is the hardest time... When the family comes together you miss them more. I wanted to come to visit him, but I couldn't. That's what hurt the most," she said.

"What's the fun of doing such things? They should have gone to a bar and got plastered instead. It would have been more dignified than this. These are sick minds," her friend added.

One man was especially annoyed because the crucifix on his parents' grave was turned upside down and chipped. He came equipped with tools to put the cross back in place.

He said that after he had heard about the incident in Kirkop he suspected the same would happen in Safi since the cemeteries are within walking distance of each other.

Another elderly woman arrived in a panic and ran to her husband's grave at the end of the cemetery. She explained that when she heard the news she started to shake uncontrollably and she could not drive.

"My first thought was that they had opened the graves and stole the bones," she said.

Her husband had died suddenly less than a year ago, and she did not know what she would have done if his grave was damaged. Thankfully, it was untouched, and the flowers she had placed there a few days before the attack were still blossoming thanks to the rain.

"All I hope now is that the New Year starts on a better note," she said.

The Safi parish priest, Joe Cilia, said the damage was discovered early on Christmas morning, with four graves being toppled over. He added that one statue was removed from its place while several graffiti was scribbled on the floor.

The Kirkop cemetery, which has remained closed, was attacked on December 23 and was worse hit. The Kirkop mayor said that around 70 per cent of the gravestones were damaged.

Through the closed gates, one could see pieces of broken glass from candle holders, as well as a number of overturned crucifixes.

In both cases, no graves were opened. Although a police investigation is taking place, no one has been arrested yet. Around the villages, the incidents were on everyone's lips. A local bar owner said it brought back memories of when she had seen people enter a cemetery in Qrendi a number of years ago.

She had been with her boyfriend at the time, and when they saw the hooded men dressed all in black and carrying upside down crucifixes they had fled in fear.

cperegin@timesofmalta.com