Presumption of innocence: Abner Aquilina is charged with offences relating to Dembska’s death and has pleaded not guilty. Reporting allegations, witness evidence or statements described in pretrial proceedings does not establish guilt.
Paulina Dembska
Dembska was a 29-year-old Polish national studying English in Malta. Reporting about her life described a woman who regularly visited Independence Gardens in Sliema to feed stray cats. Her body was found there early on Sunday, 2 January 2022.
The killing prompted public vigils and renewed debate in Malta about violence against women. Those wider responses form part of the case’s social context; they do not alter the prosecution’s burden to prove the specific criminal charges in court.
Discovery and investigation
Police received a report that a body had been found in the gardens at about 6:20 a.m. Investigators secured the scene and later presented evidence during the compilation proceedings, including testimony about Dembska’s identification, movements and accommodation.
At about the same period, officers responded to reports of a disturbance at the nearby Balluta parish church. They detained Aquilina, then 20. Maltese news organizations reported that the police connected the two events during their investigation. An autopsy was reported to have found that Dembska had been strangled and sexually assaulted.
Details attributed to police interviews and witnesses remain evidence to be tested at trial. This file therefore avoids treating alleged admissions, reported behavior or prosecutorial theory as a verdict.
Charges and not-guilty plea
On 13 January 2022, Aquilina was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to rape and murder. The case proceeded through Malta’s compilation-of-evidence stage, in which a magistrate examines whether the prosecution has shown sufficient grounds for the accused to face trial.
No prior relationship between Dembska and Aquilina was reported. Police said at the time that the attack appeared random. That public statement is an investigative assessment, not a final judicial finding about motive.
The fitness-to-stand-trial question
In June 2022, court-appointed psychiatrists said Aquilina was unfit to stand trial and had been experiencing psychosis. The legal process consequently included a separate question about his ability to understand and participate in proceedings, as well as his mental state at the time of the alleged offences.
The position changed after further assessment. On 9 February 2026, three psychiatric experts told the court that Aquilina was fit to stand trial. He withdrew pleas concerning legal insanity, and the court ruled that the case could proceed to a regular jury trial where guilt or innocence would be determined.
Current status
The latest substantive reports reviewed for this dossier describe Aquilina as awaiting trial by jury. MaltaToday again stated that position on 24 July 2026 while reporting a separate conviction concerning an assault on a psychiatrist; that separate offence is not proof of the rape and murder charges.
No verdict in the Dembska case was located in the reviewed court reporting through 29 September 2026. The archive therefore classifies the file as unresolved and pending trial. Aquilina must be described as accused unless and until a court reaches a final determination.
Verified timeline
- 2 January 2022: Paulina Dembska is found dead in Independence Gardens, Sliema.
- 13 January 2022: Abner Aquilina is arraigned and pleads not guilty to rape and murder.
- 3 June 2022: court-appointed psychiatrists say he is unfit to stand trial.
- 9 February 2026: a court finds him fit to stand trial after a new psychiatric assessment and withdrawal of the insanity pleas.
- 24 July 2026: current reporting still describes the jury trial as pending.
- 29 September 2026: no verdict is located in the reviewed record.
Frequently asked questions
Has a trial date been reported?
The reviewed reports establish that the case may proceed to a regular jury trial, but do not provide a completed trial or verdict.
Does the 2026 fitness ruling decide guilt?
No. Fitness concerns whether an accused person can understand proceedings and participate in a defence. It is not a determination of the murder and rape charges.
Why is this file unresolved?
Because no final verdict on the charges was located through the review date.
Sources and source-quality review
- The Malta Independent — arraignment and not-guilty plea13 January 2022 · charges, plea, location and police account.
- MaltaToday — 2022 fitness ruling3 June 2022 · court report on the original psychiatric assessment.
- MaltaToday — court finds Aquilina fit for trial9 February 2026 · new assessment, withdrawn insanity pleas and next procedural stage.
- The Malta Independent — independent report on the 2026 ruling9 February 2026 · corroborates fitness finding and pending jury trial.
- MaltaToday — current procedural status24 July 2026 · reports that the Dembska jury trial remained pending.
Editorial review: facts about death, charges and procedure are separated from allegations awaiting trial. A separate 2026 conviction is cited only to date the current status and is not used as character or propensity evidence.