Woman found in cave gave police different accounts, court told

A court hearing evidence against a man from the Seychelles who was accused of the rape and attempted murder of his wife when he allegedly chained her in a cave without food or water, has heard that the woman had changed the version of events she gave to the authorities because she had been afraid of her husband and didn’t want problems with the law.

Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit is hearing the compilation of evidence against Seychelles-born Roddy WIlliams, who is accused of chaining his 46-year-old wife Natalie in a cave in Kalkara.

Natalie Williams was found three days after being reported missing, at a location that police described as being close to Fort Rinella in the Kalkara area.

Court-nominated expert Richard Sladden, who had taken a deposition from Nathalie WIlliams and visited the place where she was allegedly held, testified today.

He explained that after the first sitting before the magistrate, the woman had wanted to change some aspects of her story.

She had changed her version because she was afraid of her husband and hadn’t had any problems with the police before, he said.  Although she had initially claimed to have been kidnapped, in her second version, she had told the court that she had willingly got into the car with the accused.
Defence lawyer Franco Debono asked why, if she was afraid of her husband, would she make up a story in which he had threatened her to get into the car.

“The reason she gave for lying under oath…”  began Debono, before being stopped by the court, which pointed out that changing versions under oath is not necessarily lying under oath.

Debono said that in the second version the woman had said that she had called him to meet up and talk. The woman hadn’t explained why to the witness, Sladden said.

“There was this allegation that her husband had held her head underwater.” It was not the woman who had made the allegation, however, said the lawyer.

“Even during the first sitting...she had said that he had thrown her into the water but denied that he had held her head under water,” confirmed the witness.

Debono asked where this came from. Sladden suggested that it might have been an allegation that first surfaced in the news.

Moreover, the court heard that Williams had once refused her husband’s advances but had consented to sex on subsequent occasions, he said. “There was one time where she did not consent.”

The husband did not provide her with food or drink during her ordeal. She had no mobile phone as it had been taken from her before she went into the underground complex.

Also testifying today was obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr. Joanna Ghigo, who had been nominated to examine Natalia for evidence of rape.

She recalled the woman explaining that Roddy had threatened to kill her father and children if she disobeyed.

“She refused sex and was threatened. He insisted, saying she was still his wife...and also said you know what is coming for you at which point she did not offer resistance to intercourse.”

The couple had sex at least four times during the ordeal.

The accused made a surprised facial expression when the doctor mentioned being told of the woman having been threatened with a glass object.

“On examination...I could not see any marks or bruising. The vulva looked normal,” Dr. Ghigo said. Swabs and samples were taken to forensic labs. “My conclusion is that there were no obvious lesions..to suggest forced penetration.”

She qualified this observation, however. “For a woman of her age who has had two vaginal deliveries...unless there is obvious forced trauma you would not be able to ascertain if there was forced penetration or not.”

The patient had told her she had submitted out of fear, she insisted on cross-examination.

Last to testify today was Architect Mario Cassar who had drawn up a site plan of the area where the woman was found.

He was impressed by the pitch darkness. “I set my camera’s ISO to 3000 and I still couldn’t see anything in the viewfinder,” he said.

The architect said he found it hard to breathe in the cave. “There is no air current.”
“It was like a grave. When you go inside...the actual chamber gives you the impression of a Punic grave.”

The case continues.

Lawyer Franco Debono is defence counsel. Lawyer Ludwig Caruana is appearing parte civile for the victim. Police Inspectors Josric Mifsud and Paula Ciantar are prosecuting.

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