The Maltese community was stunned after a memorial plaque for Paulina Dembska was vandalized.

The temporary plaque, located at the Sliema Promenade near Independence Gardens, featured a photo of the young Polish woman who was murdered last year, but its eyes were scratched, causing new pain for those who knew and loved her.

Agnieszka Gramala, an activist, expressed her disappointment on social media and called for a permanent memorial to honor Dembska. She wrote, “It was her beloved place and it’s important to us that some small part of her always looks at this view.”