Abner Akilina wanted to have sex with a corpse, psychiatrist tells court

A team of three psychiatrists appointed to assess whether Abner Aquilina was fit to stand trial said she was “angry with women” and wanted to have sex with a corpse. I checked their rating.

Psychiatrists Joseph Cassard, Christian Santo, and Carmen Samut used the court to assess the defendant’s mental state for the purpose of establishing whether he could appear in court and understand the proceedings against him. was appointed by

The final conclusion reached in March was that Aquilina did not appear to be suffering from delusions. said on Friday.

While cross-examining a psychiatrist today, part-civil attorney Stefano Filletti quoted from the report that Aquilina was initially hesitant to answer questions, but after “probing repeatedly” , recalled the incident “in great detail.”

Filletti also pointed out that he flipped through a report in court that described Aquilina as an “opportunistic necrophiliac.” “Here we confirm that what you have concluded is that he not only wanted to have sex with her, but took the opportunity to have sex with her corpse.”

They confirmed that Aquilina wasn’t confused by what she said to them, adding that the accused also tried to appear intimidating.

“You have come to the conclusion that he is clear enough to want an attorney to assist him in court,” read Filletti.

Cross-examined by defense attorney Mario Mifsud, the doctors explained that they needed to question him on the merits of the case in order to come to a conclusion.

“I talked to him about many other things. His answers were consistent,” Santo said.

It was revealed that the accused also assaulted a prominent psychiatrist during an appointment on Thursday.

They ensured the court was right, knowing that they were tasked with establishing whether Aquilina was fit to stand trial, not whether she was legally insane at the time of her crime. did.

A doctor at the Floriana Health Center, who was on duty when the call came for medical assistance, also testified today. She was sent to Independence Gardens in Sliema, she said. “I found a woman who was naked from the waist down, her upper body was tucked up, and her breasts were bare.” The doctor used a device to see if there was a heartbeat. She said there was a heartbeat, but there was no heartbeat.

A homicide sergeant was next to testify, telling the court that he had been ordered to keep the accused in custody. He took Aquilina to a lockup and instructed officers to keep the body cameras on at all times, he said.

A paper bag was taped to Aquilina’s hand to preserve forensic evidence, he said. Officers also read the defendant’s rights. “He had calmed down by then and asked to see a lawyer.”

A court-appointed IT expert who performed digital forensic tasks related to the case was next on the stand. He said he researched information from his CCTV, phone, laptop, and data providers to create a timeline of both Aquilina’s and the victim’s movements.

More footage was collected from police body cameras worn by officers who were present at Aquilina’s arrest, interrogation, and transportation to hospital.

Body cam footage shows Aquilina turning her face to the camera and demanding a “presidential pardon signed by the Prime Minister,” the court expert added, referring to a 230-page report on his findings. exhibited. .

After the expert’s testimony, a Sliema resident who was walking along the Sliema front line testified that he had seen some of the assault.

“I was walking towards St. Julian’s and saw someone doing push-ups. It was near Arcidiacono. He was wearing a maroon T-shirt,” the man recalled. . I passed by and turned around to see another leg under him. I realized he wasn’t doing pushups. A witness could not tell if the second leg belonged to a man or a woman, but added that his knee was bent. He answered the question and said he saw no movement from the second pair of legs.

Witnesses added that they were wearing headphones and listening to the Rosary on the radio, so they could not hear outside sounds, but the maroon top the defendant was wearing at the time reminded him of a West Ham football club kit. I remember it clearly. .

On the witness stand, the man apparently had difficulty remembering the month he observed the incident.

When he got home, his wife asked him if he had heard of a woman being murdered nearby. He said he immediately connected it to what he had seen and called the police to pass on the information.

The lawsuit was postponed to October.

Lieutenant Wayne Camilleri, along with Attorneys General Anthony Vera and Darlene Grima, are filing charges. Lawyer Stefano Filletti is representing Paulina Dembska’s family.