Hotel masseur accused of sex assault on female tourists aged 14, 15

Two young girls have told a court how they were allegedly sexually assaulted during a massage at a hotel in St. Paul’s Bay as Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech presided over the arraignment of Indian national Umeshkumar Colony Gopalakrishnan this morning.

Gopalakirshnan, 41, was accused of performing non-consensual sexual acts on the minors and the corruption of the two girls.

Inspector John Spiteri, prosecuting together with Inspector Paula Ciantar, told the court how the two British girls, aged 14 and 15, had told the police that they had been sexually assaulted during a massage at the San Antonio Hotel Resort yesterday.

The two girls had booked a sports massage, Spiteri told the court, but the session “went beyond what is expected from such services.” Both girls had been touched inappropriately by the accused, he clarified.

Police subsequently arrested the masseur, Gopalakrishnan and charged him with corruption of minors and performing non-consensual acts of a sexual nature on the girls this morning.

The accused pleaded not guilty. His lawyer Joseph Bonnici, appointed as legal aid, requested a ban on the publication of the name of the accused, but this was turned down by the court, which said the law was clear on when names could be banned from publication. The prosecution also requested a ban on the publication of the name of the hotel, which was likewise denied. “Only the victims are not to be named in the media. I am not ordering a ban on publication of the hotel name either,” said the magistrate.

The court denied bail to the accused this morning. The sitting continued with the two alleged victims testifying behind closed doors.