UPDATED: How easy it’s going to be to turn Malta into China
UPDATE: I can now confirm that this eyewitness account is authentic, and that it is a true and accurate description of what happened. I have discovered by chance that the old lady in this account is known to a member of my extended family, who often looks after her terrier. I do not, however, know the identity of the lady herself and she does not wish to speak to the press. The mainstream press, however, should take it up with the police. If I ring the police myself, what I will get is a string of hostility and rudeness and the sarcastic repetition of ‘Mrs Defni Caruana Galizia’, as I did when I rang senior officer Pierre Calleja to ask him why he went to Sicily on a RHIB for lunch with a bunch of businessmen, in a party that included the Law Commissioner and Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando. On second thoughts, I could always ring them and report their rude response.
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This appalling anecdote was posted by somebody called ‘Karmen Koleiro’ on an ‘animals’ Facebook group. What I find most shocking, even more than the police officers’ behaviour, is the failure of bystanders to intervene on behalf of this old woman and remonstrate with them severely.
We do not have respect for authority in Malta. We have fear of authority, which is different – and the fear is not accompanied by respect because this form of authority does not engender it.
We are so terrified of police officers and what we perceive to be their entirely arbitrary powers that we don’t even go to the aid of an old woman and her Yorkshire terrier.
Yes, by remonstrating they might well have ended up arrested themselves, but to hell with that.
Failing to remonstrate with police officers who are bullying an old woman because she has a titchy Yorkshire terrier on a beach that Roderick Galdes hasn’t declared ‘Dokk frandly’ is just the thin end of the wedge.
I am astonished the mainstream press haven’t picked this up.
Last Wednesday afternoon,the 7th of August, I was relaxed on the beach in the FRA BEN area Qawra. The afternoon was hot, and other people, like me, were soaking up the sun’s later afternoon rays. The beach was quiet and except for the occasional shouting of children, there was a peaceful silence.
Some people were in the sea, floating gently, refreshing themselves from the hot sun.
Suddenly I heard loud voices…and as they grew harsher, I looked up, and was astonished at what I saw. …… A male and female police were dragging an old lady out of the sea across the harsh pointed rocks ! In her arms the lady was holding a large plastic board, on which there was, curled up and terrified, a tiny tiny Yorkshire terrier.
As the terrible scene continued, we could now see that another two police officers were walking to where the lady was being held and dragged….and another unbelievable scene unfolded !!
The four policemen, male and female, pinned down the old lady face upwards on the rocks ! The lady was crying out for help, whilst at the same time begging the police not to take her dog, her sole companion, away from her. The police continued to hold her on the ground, face up in the hot afternoon sun.
Suddenly the old lady started shaking and went into a seizure … All of us who were witnessing this horrible scene were shocked and afraid….shocked for the extreme amount of unnecessary force being used against the poor old lady, whose only crime seemed to be that she was holding her tiny miniature yorkshire terrier on a plastic board across the water, and afraid for her health and safety, because she was as if in a coma…. in fact the ambulance was called for , to revive her from this Trauma.
At this stage it is important to state that all this fuss was kicked off by the beach wardens or whatever they’re called….an absurd and unnecessary over-reaction. The lady was transporting the tiny dog to another area on an extra large surfboard . The dog never touched the sea . The dog was dry…..it did not go into the sea at all !!
I am writing this to bring this shameful episode to the attention of the Minister of Police, because I am sure that he does not believe in this type of attitude from his officers
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This is shocking.
I am speechless.
Once again the police have hit the headlines for the wrong reasons. These are ‘iron curtain’ tactics not befitting a democratic nation and if left unchecked will become worse.
The crude reality is that the vast majority of our police have always been like that – a bunch of uneducated bullies. The change in goverment makes them feel more ‘at home’.
Bull’s eye
Bully’s eye.
“I am writing this to bring this shameful episode to the attention of the Minister of Police, because I am sure that he does not believe in this type of attitude from his officers”.
His office and the way the ministry is handled definitely incentivise such behaviour. It would be better for the police to start looking into the areas such as Paceville, but, there again I guess it is easier for them to handle a old woman rather than a hoard of thugs. Shameful.
Shame. Utter shame.
Then you see multi time convicted notorious drug dealers swishing by in luxury SUVs, undisturbed.
Shocking. There has to be an investigation.
Bring these thugs to justice. Before it registers they can do it again.
Where’s this woman now?
See Godfrey Walter Pirotta’s comments on FB regarding Jeffrey’s campaign and the article in the Malta Today written by Caroline Muscat
The problem with this piece is that the writer does not quite understand the English terminology she is using. “Criticising” a public figure is not the same as insulting him or her. Criticising involves giving an analytical account of the pros and cons of one’s actions. proposals or behaviour. I do not understand how insulting one’s family can ever be construed as criticism. Yes I am against cyberbullying and stalking and I think people should be ready to stand up and demand action. The excuse of freedom of speech is nothing but an excuse since the purpose of those who adopt bullying and stalking is to intimidate others whom they oppose into silence by the use of extremely offensive methods. The defence of such behaviour under the guise of freedom of expression is an offence to our intelligence. Once agin the writer displays a very Maltese trait: that of attacking the person and not quite discussing his proposal.
[Daphne – What do you expect of a rabid Mintoffian with some giant-sized issues?]
I’m going to let what are, according to Pirotta, my Maltese traits go wild here then: Pirotta is a washed-up old sh*t.
He’s one of a particularly annoying brand of Labour faux-intellectuals. They were nobodies, they (admirably) did well for themselves, but never quite managed to rise above the little village boys they really are.
The mix of intellect (of which there is some, though not as much as he’d like to think), rabid socialism, superiority, downright ignorance and general backwardness in thought is a heady mix that I’ve only encountered in this particular strain of Maltese male.
I’m not sure what I hate most, the Neanderthal, knuckle-dragging male Labour type or this type. Six of one and half a dozen of the other, probably.
[Daphne – Careful, Catherine, or you’ll have H. P. Baxxter asking for your hand in marriage.]
Well, I’d have to part with my Ritienne. But first I think I shall ask you and Harry to adopt me. With Joseph’s liberal revolution, everything is possible. I need parents who can understand me, as well as a wife who shares my views.
[Daphne – Harry is now past the legal age for adoption, and I have done my bit. So it will just have to bit Catherine.]
No, H.P. Baxxter is too much of a tease.
Oh well. You’re both invited our wedding.
No fair, Daphne. I just adopted a kitten.
Much fuss has been made about dogs. I now expect dog owners to raise merry hell about the behaviour of the police towards a fellow human.
This is disgraceful. The bully spirit in the police force is back with a bang. I would like to see them do that to hunters but I think that is only wishful thinking.
Rodrick Galdes is a puppet on a string and Michelle is the puppeteer.
Why did Karmen Koleiro post her account on an animal lovers’ Facebook group instead of a human rights one?
The old lady, not the dog, got the worst of it.
She did the right thing in writing about this, but she would have done a hell of a lot better to intervene there and then and to file a report against these officers at the nearest station.
And she also needs to get her priorities straight. This is definitely not an animal rights issue, but a human rights one.
Well said. I’ve had it up to here with people kicking up a fuss about animals ignoring the human ones.
Same here. The country’s going to the dogs, literally.
You hit the nail on the head.
Kitten, it is always the owner who ends up worse off. They are the ones who are constantly harassed and attacked by the ‘law abiding’ citizens who abhor seeing animals enjoying themselves.
But then it’s ok for humans to litter and for children to run about like rabid animals irritating all and sundry. And interestinly enough it is always these individuals who harass pet owners.
She posted it in the group of which she is a member. She complained about the behaviour of the police towards the old lady. I don’t think she ever claimed this is an animal rights issue.
If nothing is done about this kind of behaviour, it will become the norm, and people will just treat it as an everyday occurence. Shameful behaviour by those who should set an example.
If it is true that there were four police officers dealing with an old lady and a tiny Yorkshire terrier, then the country is already in a great big mess.
Everyday it seems to me to be more of a Direzzjoni Ta’ Xejn.
YES, IT’S TRUE.
WHAT A WASTE OF TAX-PAYERS’ MONEY.
Last week at Ghadira, my seven-year-old son came up from the sea distressed after a life guard made a scene because he was using a three-foot Lidl plastic dinghy in the swimming zone and ordered him out of the water.
I thought it was related to HIS safety, but the wind was blowing in. I remonstrated, showing the life guard that the lilos and other assorted inflatable animals around were actually much larger. “You can’t come in here with a boat,” he said. Incredible.
Frankly, the police are taking a risk.
If anyone treated my mother like that, police or not, I would want satisfaction, one way or the other.
If it had been the little dog, rather than the poor lady that had been traumatized to the extent of having a seizure, then Facebook pages would have already been set up in the animal’s name, calling for the death penalty for the police officers involved.
Comments boards would be awash with the countless fair-weather animal lovers (who only seem to love dogs and cats) who always seem to crawl out of the woodwork. But as it was a mere human who was subjected to this barbaric treatment, not one word in the media.
What a sad incident. On the one hand Roderick Galdes seems to have managed to bring out a possible ban on animal circuses and is proposing regulating pet shops. Both laudable milestones in my eyes.
On the other hand, the police show themselves to be the leopards who haven’t changed their spots. You are absolutely right however about the fear of authority.
The police have been traditionally heavy-handed in their approach and known for frame-ups on innocent individuals. It does not surprise me that nobody stepped in to help this poor lady.
Maltese culture is what it is, there is a tacit understanding and expectation in Malta that any form of authority will be exercised abusively, from examiners who go out of their way to test what students don’t know, instead of what they should be expected to know, to pen pushers in the civil service who bully the public.
I sincerely hope that this matter will be investigated. Our police officers are not exactly bright sparks. Thankfully they are routinely cut down to size by the judiciary who will have none of their nonsense literal interpretation of our laws. The Minister for Police has one hot potato on his hands.
When Roderick Galdes gives us a beach where it is safe to swim with easy access to water and allows dogs to run around off leash in a safe environment, then will I say that he has crossed a laudable milestone.
They are meant to protect society, instead they’ve become, quite literally, enforcers of the law, taking their cue from their American counterparts where armed thugs have replaced what used to be police officers.
Forget the tasers being used on harmless people over minor issues, just look at these law enforcers’ attitudes towards animals:
1. They raid an animal shelter to seize a baby deer in order to kill it – “it’s policy”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXyP_6X-DrU
2. They’re arresting an innocent bystander who happens to be filming them and his dog comes along, so what do they do? Do they allow the man to lock his dog in the car?
http://youtu.be/EJZb2sB2Xjc
I thought there were laws against conflicts of interest.
I can believe that this happened. I was in Malta only 3 weeks ago and the treatment I received from a Maltese police inspector was absolutely discusting! The rudeness and ignorant mannerisms I will never forget!
I expect a statement from Mrs Prime Minister abut this, or is she only trundled out for free concerts at ‘her’ palace?
Vera tal-misthija! Ma jarawx juzaw dik il-forza kollha fuq anzjana, miskina qas haqq il-qatgha li tawha!
Nahseb uhud mill-membri tal-korp ghandhom bzonn training ta’ kif jittrattaw ma’ nies differenti! A big shame to all four of them!
Some time ago I was driving into a side road that had cars parked facing the wrong way, and two male officers and a female officer went on a feeding frenzy slapping fines on the cars that had parked facing the wrong side, reason was that someone had removed the No Entry sign.
As polite as I could be I tried to reason with one of the officers that what they are doing is a sort of entrapment, that having a road sign removed and then giving fines to unsuspecting drivers in that manner.
One can imagine what answers I got from them all, ‘Tindahalx, miex bicca tieghejk, ibqa sejjer’.
But at least I had the last word, I said, “No wonder everyone hates the police here, because all of you have no manners at all. ” and then I drove off.
A lone police officer is OK to handle, but three or more is like facing a gang ready to give you a beating – that is the Malta Police.
The bully boys are back. They heard that it was so much fun being a policeman in the 70s/80s that, now that they have the chance, they want to experience it themselves. Ghax Malta taghna llkoll, I suppose.
I informed Mr. Galdes through an e-mail that I will take legal action against him and his department if I am stopped from taking my dog swimming on the rocks next to where I live.
Imagine me living next to the sea and but having to take a car journey to take my dog swimming because of this stupid law. It is an abuse of my freedom and rights and I will not take it lightly. Dogs should be allowed to swim off the rocks anywhere.
I hope this old lady files a formal complaint with the police and possibly presses charges?
Has anybody taken note of the numbers of these police-thugs?I note that they were four in number – in court, be sure they will say, (UNDER OATH) that the story is mere fiction. It is a habit for police to “lie”
Unfortunately the account of what happened at the beach was posted in the Facebook group Animal Friends-Malta which is run by another rabid Labour supporter, a certain Daniel Bugeja, whose personal Timeline is filled with photos of Roderick Galdes, cats, jibes at Simon Busuttil, more cats, support for JPO, veiled ant-immigrant comments and more cats.
His – and his friends’ – only reaction to this episode was to tell Karmen Koleiro to write to Galdes and Joseph Muscat. Other comments, including references to this blog, are immediately deleted.
Shocking!
This is typical. Strong with the weak and weak with the strong…