The works of a psychopath in Mosta (whether direct or through a hired hand) have tickled the curiosity of the Maltese public. It does not take much for anything to get onto the media these days (as I discovered to my chagrin thanks to a what I thought would be an innocuous Eurovisionjoke involving Gary Barlow) but the “Mosta Cat Killer” has qualified for permanent stardom. Let’s face it, the case of dead cats and dogs hanging from crucifixes is destined to be spoken of for many years to come – there will probably be a Xarabank programme about it on the 16th anniversary complete with a live performance from the musical “Cats”.
In a tiny island that still gets its occasional murder or two as well as multiple cases of theft one cannot but wonder whether the sensationalism behind what in many other nations would be a village freak crime is over-hyped – and consequently whether too many resources are being dedicated to the matter. I googled “cat killer” and “serial cat killer” – because that is the thing you do these days – and was surprised to discover several cases reported in the UK and US. Admittedly there is not the Dan Brown addition of gory crucifixes linked to statues of saints but there was a sense of relief to be had in the idea that cat murderers are not confined to the isle of milk and honey.
Having said that the fascination with the whole idea of having Malta’s own serial killer (albeit of the feline and canine victim kind) persists and as the 16th of the month approaches (although I am told by Cat Killer aficionados it won’t be the 16th because it’s February – go figure) the hype is destined to build up again. Is this another case of the obscene voyeurism that the 21st century has thrown in our collective faces? Elsewhere Raphael Vassallo has concluded that the Danish Zoo’s putting down of perfectly healthy giraffe Marius was made public in order to take advantage of the gory fancies the general public might have. This was no “mercy killing”, it was “panem et circenses” all over again.
The moral vagaries of such issues are hard to catch up with. On the one hand there is a huge gap between this society and the one I grew up in – aiding my grandma to skin a rabbit that she had just killed not so mercifully with a deft chop to the neck. The empathy for the dead cats and dogs in the Mosta Killer case must surely be put into perspective. As far as I know nobody has walked up to the police in tears claiming that their pet cat or dog has been killed. These are “wild” cats and dogs. Which does not make killing them any nicer but does point out to some kind of conscientious choice by the perpetrator. Let’s face it, he could be kidnapping and killing your moggies and pooches but he is not. He is just intent on making whatever twisted point he has to make to society in general.
In the UK they often license the culling of squirrels – the overpopulation is harmful to the greater balance in nature. In Malta we now have quotas for hunting – whether they are respected is another story – but wild cats and dogs run freely and dangerously in villages and the countryside. Is this Mosta Killer Malta’s weird and unorthodox way of coping with this overabundance of stray cats and dogs? Of course not. Forgive me for thinking so though, especially since when last I checked the public reaction to the problems with dog shelters and cat shelters was not half as enthusiastic as the ogling and curiosity that surrounds the Mosta Cat Killer.
“Some werewolves are hairy on the inside” – Stephen King.
