Construction worker accused of groping 16-year-old girl

A construction worker has been remanded in custody on charges of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl in full view of CCTV cameras.

41-year-old Marsa resident Baday Osman, a labourer from Turkey, appeared before magistrate Doreen Clarke this morning, accused of committing a non-consensual sexual act on the Maltese girl.

The incident occurred in Paola on 2 October when the man had allegedly grabbed the girl’s private parts, twice, before running away when she screamed for help.

Inspectors Joseph Busuttil and Hubert Cini charged the man with committing a sexual act without consent, causing her slight injuries in the process. He was also accused of attacking the girl and causing her to fear violence.

The prosecution exhibited a medical certificate documenting the victim’s injuries and recordings of CCTV footage.

Osman’s lawyers, Giannella De Marco and Gianluca Caruana Curran, entered a plea of not guilty to the charges.

Bail was not requested at this stage, but the court upheld the defence’s request that the prosecution brings all its civilian witnesses in the next sitting.