School-bus driver's 11-year prison sentence for raping eight-year-old student confirmed by court

The man had been entrusted with driving the girl home from school in Gżira but would first drop off all the other children and take her to a secluded field where he would sexually assault her and on two occasions, rape her

File photo
File photo

A court has confirmed the conviction of a school-bus driver who was convicted of having repeatedly sexually assaulted and raped an eight-year old girl in 2006.

The man was sentenced to 11 years in prison after the Court of Criminal Appeal had sent the case back to the Court of Magistrates.

James Grech, 40, from Qormi had originally been found guilty in 2020 and sentenced to 12 years in prison, but had filed an appeal, arguing amongst other things that his defence team had not been given the opportunity to cross-examine the victim. This had been confirmed by the Court of Criminal Appeal, which had noted that while this had undoubtedly been done to prevent the re-victimisation of the witness, such measures should not prejudice the rights of the defendant.

The appeal had been partially upheld in January 2022, with the judge sending the case back to the Court of Magistrates so that the girl, by now in her twenties, could be cross-examined.

Grech had been entrusted with driving the girl home from school in Gżira but would first drop off all the other children and take her to a secluded field where he would sexually assault her and on two occasions, rape her.

He was convicted of the rape and corruption of a minor but acquitted of holding the child her against her will, the court citing case law establishing that this offence was part of the crime of rape.

Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit sentenced Grech to imprisonment for 11 years, together with a three-year restraining order and the payment of €500 in costs. The court also ordered that Grech’s name be inscribed in the sex offenders register.