PLEASE READ THIS: The lady with the Yorkshire terrier writes in
This morning, I found that last night, the lady with the Yorkshire terrier, who was subjected to police abuse at the beach, had posted several comments on this website.
So that you do not miss them on the general threads, I am uploading them here. The lady’s name is Grace Scicluna, she is 66 not 75, and her dog, called Dora, weighs two kilos.
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Comment 1
I’m the old woman [66] on the beach with my tiny ”Dora”.
I was prudent enough to transport my little 2 kg. doggy on a large surfboard to an area where dogs are allowed. I didn’t have a helicopter to fly over this area.
I told them I will not bring my doggy here again, I promise. The dog never touched the water. So there was no crime.
I heard one policeman say, “U ejja ser naqbdu ma’ mara anzjana u bicca nofs kelba”, but the other policemen did not listen and kept on and on until I fainted and was revived by a kind ambulance attendant who was not Caucasian.
It must have really looked bad and ridiculous to the bystanders who witnessed four policemen, an ambulance, two attendants and two life guards over an ‘anzjana’ with a tiny little dog. There are more serious crimes to attend to.
Leave me alone please. Let me enjoy the company of this dog. We are harming nobody. What’s happening in Malta? Rules here and there about dogs. I always clean up after my dog.
The earth was created for all creatures to enjoy with prudence, even little dogs. It’s the irresponsible humans that are messing up Malta not my tiny, lovable Dora.
Comment 2
Thank you for your comments. My case is minor compared to that of my brother’s death, killed in Qormi on Sept. 16, 2008.
Justice has not been done yet and my mother and father died in sorrow after the shooting of their youngest son. They were provoked by the sight of the one who was arrested, walking the streets on bail and travelling all over the world while their son, my brother, was dead.
Is this justice in Malta?
Comment 3
HOW TRUE. (The police) back each other up. That is why I’m not filing a complaint.
All I want is for them to leave me alone in peace. Let me grieve my father, my mother and the brutal killing of my youngest brother.
I can never win against four policemen.
Comment 4
I agree 100%. I’m the anzjana in this messy situation.
My little dog was on a large surf-board away from the people. It was a rocky beach. I thought dogs are only not allowed on the sand. How can I keep up with all these rules?
Why all this fuss? I told them, “Please leave me in peace. I am grieving for my father who I have JUST buried”. ZERO SENSITIVITY.
Comment 5
People tried to step in and help me but the policewoman told them to keep away otherwise they will be arrested too. DO NOT INTERFERE ON THE LINE OF OUR WORK, she said to them.
When I was screaming for help so many men came to help but were stopped by their wives fearing they would get into grave trouble by touching a police officer.
Then I don’t know what happened. I fainted and was unconscious until the ambulance came and my brother arrived to take me home. Then the police left.
Thanks for your concern. It’s behind me now. I hope it will not happen again especially to people with a bad heart. Mine was a broken heart. My father had just died, my mother died a year ago and my youngest brother was brutally killed in Qormi. So, please, peace, and let my dog comfort me.
Comment 6
I’m the old woman. It’s because the police would not have bothered me if I was swimming alone.
The police waited almost 1 hr. 20 min in the sun for me to come out of the sea with my tiny dog Dora on a large surf-board. The dog did not touch the sea.
Then the whole ordeal lasted 2 to 3 hours until the ambulance came. They wanted to take me to the hospital, but I refused saying “I’d rather die here with my dog than come with you. Dogs are not allowed in hospitals in Malta.”
So they made me sign something which I could not read and could not sign with my hands shaking, but a kind attendant held my hand and I scribbled something.
It’s the dog they didn’t want there. As if a little dog is going to harm someone. Dora weighs two kilos.
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The old despicable regime is back. No wonder they want to put up not one but several monuments for that bastard, they are following his footsteps.
Do not be so disrespectful towards the dead. Please be kind and let’s concentrate on the future.
We all learn from the past. So did you.
All this police fuss on an elderly lady and her little dog. One wonders why the authorities don’t ensure the rule of law with regard to the real criminals on the beach who have occupied land illegally land for years. Shame.
This is Grace Scicluna’s brother, who was murdered on 16 September 2008:
http://www.rmyc.org/news/?id=146
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20080917/local/man-shot-dead-in-qormi.225049
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20080916/local/man-shot-dead-in-qormi.225009
Bullies.
Ms. Scicluna, I empathise with you and hope that you and Dora will be able to enjoy the sea together without any harassment.
The police involved should get a telling off and apologise for what they did – which is the least that is expected.
During the horrible Labour era my trust in and respect for the police was zilch. And during the years following I still had no full trust in the police force. Now it looks that we are going back to former times.
I hope I will be proved wrong.
This is not a political issue. The Labour Party has nothing to do with it. If you want to make it a political issue, then there might have been political reasons why the one who shot my brother was released on low bail after just a few weeks, and he is allowed to travel.
I protested against this, because what if he escapes justice?
Let’s give the Labour Party a chance to prove themselves.
When the “new” Labour movement starts its rule with a revamping of the state police force and stuffing it with remnants of the Mintoff-KMB police and a return to that obscene modus operandi then no one can pretend that the “Labour Party has nothing to do with it”. It has got everything to do with it.
We have returned to the black old days when the police acted as cowboys not defenders of civil society
You should not judge the whole police force.
Like you cannot say the Catholic Church is bad, just because there are very few bad priests.
The Police Commissioner should investigate and take action appropriate to the findings thereof. This is his big chance to show us all that he can be taken seriously.
You’re kidding arent you? The police force’s integrity and esteem has been torn to shreds in a matter of a few short weeks. The incompetence is scary!
You cannot blame the whole Police Force.
There ARE a great deal of very good policemen especially the gentle and very intelligent Inspector Graziella who interviewed me. So please, peace be with you.
Police as waiters and old lady harassers! Not even Monty Python would have thought of that.
The case has already been investigated by the police who then issued a statement saying the lady involved has admitted that it was all due to her misunderstanding.
That’s true, but not to ‘my’ misunderstanding but due to A misunderstanding.
I understood that, of course. My comment was sarcastic.
Could Ms Scicluna please elaborate on the alleged cryptic misunderstanding and who was responsible for the gaffe? The emerged facts give no clue. Was the Yorkie mistaken for a bull terrier or his bark to protect his mistress mistaken for disparaging canine remarks against the whole police force (with a few exceptions)?
And our honourable police force come along telling us the lady will not be pressing charges because all is fine and it was a misunderstanding. Oh, yes.
Well there you have it: she will not press charges because like most of us she doesn’t trust the police or have faith in the system.
I for one never did under any administration but under this one, even less.
I trust some police and I do have faith in the system.
Some day Justice will be done. Mine is a very minor incident compared to what happened to my brother.
Where is the Commissioner? Is he on holiday?
Back to the “glorious” days when the police killed someone in their custody inside the Police GHQ CID offices. With a little patience they should soon be able to spruce up their technique from a solitary old lady out of her wits to adult men (as long as they outnumbered them six to one).
There were 4 not 6 policemen and one was a policewoman.
My comment is not restricted to this particular incident of one old lady with her small dog overpowered by a handful of burly policemen/policewomen while the person accused with her brother’s murder is still roaming free.
To the four policemen who faced the full wrath of the Yorkie and a 66-year-old woman, I recommend a viewing of ‘Hachico’, a film featuring Richard Gere, which is the true story of a dog.
Then, perhaps, one of them can point me towards any human whose devotion and loyalty comes anywhere near matching that of the dog’s in the story.
Yes it’s true. My little Yorkie wanted to eat them. She barked so loud. I was afraid they were going to take her away from me or silence her.
I saw on You-tube in the USA a police officer shooting a dog and killing him just because he was using his instincts to defend his master who was being arrested for a minor offence. That really scares me.
Dear Mr. Winston Psaila,
I saw the movie ‘Hachico’ last night on You-tube next to Dora and my cat. My pillow was soaked with tears. If you go on ANIMAL LOVERS OF MALTA, you will see a picture taken from the newspapers of my brother’s dog [Yorkshire terrier] Poochi soaked in my brother’s blood, taken by a gentle policeman from the scene of the crime.
This little dog lost his master and went to look for him in the yacht marina near his boat, Maltese Falcon 2. We tried to keep him but he would not stay. Now a nice German lady is taking care of him because she’s always at the yacht marina. She has called him Max.
Recently the police seem to have made it a habit of barking up the wrong tree (Dora please excuse the pun).
The sooner they get their act in order the better.
Ha….HA….Ha…
Can anyone, please, enlighten me which Legal Notice was violated?
Would the police act because ‘The Oraklu’ uttered a few words telling us that ‘dog friendly’ beaches are available? That surely does not mean the dogs are prohibited from swimming in other areas.
I do understand that dogs would not be allowed on sandy beaches (for obvious reasons) or areas designated for swimmers.
Dear Ms Scicluna, I wish to express my deepest sympathies for your loss. I m sure Dora is a great comfort to you. Three cheers to Dora. Pity she is too small to be a menace to bullies like the ones you have encountered.
Dora did her very best to defend me. I was more afraid for her than me.
I feel disgusted by the way those officers treated you, Miss Scicluna.
Public officials who get drunk in public and involve themselves in a brawl – they get away with it, but on the other hand an elderly lady is treated like a criminal of the worst kind for simply transporting her small dog on a board to take him for a swim.
The dog does not swim. I just did not want to leave her alone on the rocks.
Keystone Cops all the way, robotic as their American counterparts, thugs let loose with a badge, allowed to act like demi-gods because they enforce the law.
And yet, the law is an ass… when it’s not the act of despots.
Can’t disagree on this one Kevvy.
I do not think that this will make the police involved or their superiors blush.
This is the change that Malta voted for.
“revived by a kind ambulance attendant who was not Caucasian.”
This story would have been utterly incomplete without that detail.
Martin was her brother I presume.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20080917/local/man-shot-dead-in-qormi.225049
Yes, Martin is my brother, and I loved him so very much.
M’ ghadnix ngharfu dan il-pajjiz. Filli kulhadd ihobb l-annimali u f’ daqqa wahda l-awtoritajiet mohhhom fina l-pet owners. X gara?
Qed jarawna mod facli kif jaghmlu l-flus? Jixtiequ jaqtghu l-klieb minn fuq il-gzira?
Jekk ma tirrelaksjax ma l-akbar habib li ghandu l-bniedem ma’ min tista tqatta siegha kwieta?
Bullies in uniforms.
What a disgrace!
What struck me the most about this awful incidence is the double standard employed by the Police Department.
Only last month, a group of police thought nothing of transporting a group of visiting, German, female, bikini-clad, colleagues on their RHBS in Ghadira Bay.
Yet, when an elderly woman chooses to transport her tiny, female, bikini-less dog on a surfboard, all hell breaks loose.
the dog was wearing a bathing suit and a leach. SHE DOES NOT SWIM. the dog was on a surf board four times her size. I did not want to leave her alone on the rocks. THANKS FOR YOUR CONCERN. COURT IS ON APRIL 10.
they charged me 6 months after the incident Feb. 6. 2014.
How cheeky ! SO IT WILL BE PERSCRITTA.