Man accused of rape 'claimed to be gay to convince girl to sleep over'

The woman told the court she had decided to go home with the man, who she had met that night at a club, because she felt safe in the knowledge that he was gay

A woman who reported a man to the police for allegedly raping her told police she had gone home with him because he claimed to be gay
A woman who reported a man to the police for allegedly raping her told police she had gone home with him because he claimed to be gay

A woman who reported a man to the police for allegedly raping her after a drunk night out, had told police that she had felt safe going home with the accused because he had claimed to be gay.

Murat Vurmaz, 41, from Turkey, appeared in the dock before magistrate Joe Mifsud this afternoon, charged with rape of a 26 year old Swedish girl who had gone home with him after a night out.

Police inspectors Paula Ciantar and Matthew Spagnol told the court that the two had met in a club during the night between Saturday and Sunday. At around 4am, the clubs had closed and the woman told police that she had asked him to take her home to St. Julians. The victim had told police that she had been taken to Vurmaz’s home instead, where she was raped whilst drunk.

The accused insisted that the sexual encounter was non-violent and consensual. Defence lawyer Marion Camilleri pointed out that the woman had “not a mark on her,” despite her statement to police saying that she had been threatened and raped at knifepoint.

Asked by the defence why she had gone to the house of a man whom she had just met, the woman said that the accused had claimed to be gay and that this had made her feel safe.

A plea of not guilty was entered. Magistrate Joe Mifsud denied the man bail.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri were defence counsel. Lawyer Alfred Abela appeared parte civile for the woman.