Man acquitted of defilement charges

A 54-year old man from Hamrun was cleared of allegations that he defiled and slightly injured his partner’s 16-year old daughter.

Magistrate Audrey Demicoli ruled that the accused's version was more credible than that of the alleged victim. “The court has no doubt that the allegations surfaced because the man was against the relation the girl had with her boyfriend,” the magistrate said.

The minor filed her allegations following a disagreement with her family, who opposed her dating her boyfriend. On the same day ththe minor alleged she was being sexually abused, her mother filed the same claim against the minor’s boyfriend.

In 2006, the couple lived together at St Paul’s Bay and in Rabat. During the same time, the minor’s boyfriend called at Agenzija Appogg, claiming that her mother’s partner was hitting her. A day later, he dropped his claims but the allegations were still investigated. The minor told investigators that she had been sexually abused by her mother’s partner since the age of nine.

She said the man had passed lewd comments, touched her and made her touch him indecently. She also said he made her work at a bakery and would hit her if she did not help him.

However the girl’s siblings vouched for the man’s honesty and goodness. They described the accused as a gentleman who raised them and who they looked upon as a father. The siblings corroborated each other’s statements that the accused never forced them to work nor did he ever hit them.

Magistrate Audrey Demicoli ruled that the girl’s allegations were her way to hit back at her mother and he partner for opposing her relationship. The court refused to believe the girl’s claims and acquitted the man.

Lawyers Veronique Dalli and Dean Hili appeared for the accused.