Nurse pleads guilty to indecent assault in ambulance

A male nurse has been placed under probation for two years this morning after admitting charges of violent indecent assault in connection with an incident that took place in an ambulance on Sunday afternoon.

Prosecuting Inspectors Sylvana Briffa and Jonathan Ransley arraigned nurse Lawrence Debono, 39, before Magistrate Doreen Clarke, charging him with violent indecent assault and committing a crime which he was duty-bound to prevent.

Details of the assault itself and the events leading up to it were not made public. In court today, Magistrate Doreen Clarke ordered the lawyers and prosecuting officers to make their submissions in chambers, leaving the accused in the dock- pensively gazing at his shoes- until the lawyers finally emerged, some 15 minutes later.

The accused’s lawyer, Jason Azzopardi, told the court that the accused wished to file an admission and was apologising unreservedly to the victim, describing the assault as “a moment of madness.” Lawyer Franco Debono, appearing in parte civile, accepted the apology on her behalf. 

The allegation of indecent assault had been made by a 20-year-old Iranian woman from who was being transferred to Mater Dei General Hospital from her home on Sunday afternoon. Media reports claim that the woman had been left on a stretcher in the A&E department for a considerable amount of time and made her initial report to police officers who happened to be at the hospital as she was trying to leave. It is understood that hospital authorities are conducting an internal investigation into the matter.

The court placed the man under probation for two years and ordered a ban on the publication of the name of the victim. Debono was told to follow the instructions given to him by a court-appointed probation officer, which could also include seeking psychological treatment.

Lawyers Jason Azzopardi and Chris Busietta defended the accused, whilst lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri and Amadeus Cachia appeared as parte civile for the woman.