A collar bearing the name Paulina Dembska has been placed on the iconic cat statue in a garden in Sliema, to mark the third anniversary of the murder of the Polish national.

The 29-year-old Polish animal lover was raped and murdered on January 2, 2022, in Sliema’s Independence Garden.

Her murder shocked the nation and prompted the introduction of femicide into Malta’s criminal code.

Dembska was known as one of the cat feeders at Ġnien l-Indipendenza, where she was found dead near the spot where she often cared for a colony of cats.

Matthew Pandolfino, the artist behind the 3.5 metre cat statue, said he added the collar bearing Dembska's name as "a small gesture to her and her family".

Paulina Dembska was raped and murdered three years ago. Photo: Facebook

“I was shocked by her murder, and I am still angry today,” said Pandolfino.  “Sometimes, it can feel like justice isn’t served in Malta, and this is a perfect example," he said.

Three years later, the case remains in the magistrate's court, despite reforms introduced to shorten lengthy court proceedings. These reforms followed charged statements from Dembska’s family, who said the slow court system compounded their pain.

Abner Aquilina, the accused who referred to himself as “the antichrist,” has pleaded not guilty. Court experts have declared that he was “insane” at the time of the crime.

“Once I noticed it was the anniversary of her passing, I thought now is the chance,” Pandolfino said.

The Cat statue by Matthew Pandolfino Photo: Jonathan Borg

Although he never met the young woman, Pandolfino, like many others, was deeply affected by the murder. He said Dembska likely passed by the statue every morning on her way to feed the local cats.

Dembska’s body was discovered by a passer-by just before 6:30am below the Sliema promenade, not far from the so-called "cat village," where she cared for the strays.

Nearby, a mural painted in her honour, benches dedicated to femicide victims along the promenade, and a small memorial with candles and a plaque bearing her name and face serve as tributes.