The person who yesterday hung two crucified animals – a dog and a cat – to the Mosta parish church was caught on several CCTV cameras but it is not known if the Police will be able to identify the man from the grainy footage.

The Malta Independent is informed that police investigators elevated CCTV footage from five buildings, all of which captured the perpetrator. A person who is in charge of one of these buildings yesterday spoke to this paper on the condition of anonymity. “The cameras captured this man stopping at the corner and looking around as if to see if the coast was clear. Then he disappeared and came back a few seconds later, holding the crucified dog. He climbed up onto a parapet and hung the crucifix beneath a street light.”

This paper is informed that other cameras from around the area captured the man, who also hung a crucified cat onto a statue of St Philip near the Rotunda’s main door, but is not known if the other footage is clear enough for the man to be identified. The police took copies of the five recordings.

Yesterday’s was the eleventh case of animal cruelty. The first gruesome discovery was made on 16 November, 2011, when a puppy was found crucified to a wooden cross that was hung upside down. Since then almost all cases have happened on or around the 16th day of the month, the only exclusions being one that happened on 23 February, 2012 and yesterday’s case.

It is not known whether a single “serial killer” is behind these gruesome acts or whether some of the cases were the work of copycats. Animal rights groups and the public alike are enraged by these cowardly acts, and many criticize the police for “not doing enough” to catch the culprit. Some have even called for more CCTV cameras in and around Mosta’s public areas.