How did it come to this? – Stephanie Mizzi

A woman was brutally run over in the early hours of January 18. She died shortly after she was rushed to hospital. As if running over her was not enough, the driver allegedly went on a rampage, throwing bricks at her, beating a passer-by and throwing stones at passing cars, after literally ramming his expensive BMW into a restaurant.

The woman died on her 30th birthday. Her name was Pelin Kaya and she had moved to Malta from Turkey two years ago and worked as an interior designer at a high-end furniture establishment.

I am still trying to decipher my feelings after this heinous act. I feel a strong sense of helplessness, not only for the victim and her family but for us all.

We have reached a point of no return. How have we come to this? But the worst horror of it all is that Pelin, who was described by her colleagues as “a dear team-mate” and a “wonderful person”, was walking home alone feeling safe, given Malta has or, rather, had the reputation of being a relatively safe country to walk around at all hours of the day.

She was allegedly killed by a man, fuelled with cocaine and alcohol, driving a car, someone who had a series of convictions including petty thefts, breaching a...