A man has expressed his trauma and exasperation following a vicious attack in Paceville which left him with a missing part of his ear lobe.

Despite the unprovoked incident, which left him nursing 12 stitches to his ear, the victim claimed the police tried to downplay the gravity of the attack.

The incident happened in the evening of May 25 at the Westin Rock Beach, while the man and his friends were relaxing.

The Sri Lankan man, who insisted on remaining anonymous, believes the incident was racially motivated. He said that a stranger, who he believes was a Libyan national, approached his group of friends, claiming he was an undercover police officer and asking if they were Indian nationals.

“He was very clearly drunk and started bullying us, so we told him to leave us alone and we started to walk away. At this point, the Libyan man pushed one of my friends and I told him to stop.” However, the attacker persisted and he even became aggressive.

“He charged after me, grabbed me and pushed me against the lamppost. I was helpless and couldn’t defend myself and, before I knew it, he began to bite my ear. I was in shock and bit his arm as a form of self-defence,” said the victim.

Friends of both the attacker and the victim broke up the fight. The aggressor fled the scene while the Sri Lankan man’s friends called an ambulance as his ear was bloody and dangling off.

I don’t feel safe in Malta anymore- Sri Lankan man

After going to the hospital, where he received 12 stitches, the man went to the St Julian’s police station to file a report about the incident. However, the victim claims that the police on duty completely underplayed the incident.

“They told me it’s nothing, it’s just a wound, and I told them it isn’t a wound: my ear is literally falling off! I felt like the police discouraged me from filing a report even though I was the victim.”

Nonetheless, the Sri Lankan man persisted and filed a report. A police spokesperson confirmed that a report had been filed and investigations are ongoing.

Within days of the incident, his ear became infected and, after further treatment, he had to have his lobe removed.

“I am traumatised by the entire incident. Since the attack, the way I was treated by the police, as well as the constant hospital visits, I don’t feel safe in Malta anymore. I feel stressed and potentially always in danger.”

Since the incident, the victim has sought legal advice and is hoping nobody has to go through the same ordeal.