It may have dawned on some people that the sadistic and brutal killing of cats at Mosta in recent months, when they have been found nailed upside down on wooden crosses or on iron gratings, might be nothing less than satanic acts by a group of people, or more likely by a rather sick individual.

Sometimes a Catholic feast day of a saint or of the Blessed Virgin is chosen for such terrible acts to torture these poor animals and shock normal civilised people.

It is possible, without undue exaggeration, to appeal for the assistance of Malta’s well known exorcists Fr Elia Vella and Fr Marcello Ghirlando, in this sad case, which otherwise appears to be unexplained.

Surely somebody, beyond the perpetrators, is aware of what lies behind such cruel acts.

Do we have to wait for the next similar one to take action?