Young man charged with extortion and assault of 15-year-old girl in Mqabba

A 21-year-old man from Fgura was denied bail on Saturday after being charged with extortion and assaulting a 15-year-old girl.

Jake Dalli Balzan was also accused of being part of a group of people who assaulted the victim on 23 November in Mqabba and of being in possession of a flick knife. Two of the people in the group had also brandished weapons, one of which was found in the accused’s garage.

Dalli Balzan appeared in front of Magistrate Giannella Busuttil and was charged with causing the victim slight injuries without the intention of killing her, trying to extort money from her, forming part of a group of more than three persons that assaulted the girl and illegal possession of a flick knife. He pleaded not guilty.

Sources privy to the incident have told MaltaToday the assault happened outside the victim’s house. The victim is understood to have been bullied at school by a group of students, including a 13-year-old girl. MaltaToday understands that Dalli Balzan is a close friend of one of the students who were bullying the victim.

In court, the prosecution led by Inspector Wayne Bonello and the victim’s parte civile lawyer Jason Azzopardi objected to bail being given.

The magistrate denied the accused bail and issued a protection order in favour of the victim.

The accused was represented by lawyers Joseph Borda and David Bonello.

Police investigations into the assault are ongoing and it is not excluded that another person is charged with the crime.

However, the police have their hands tied over some other people in the group who are minors and cannot be criminally prosecuted despite the seriousness of the matter. The law was changed in 2014, raising the age of criminal responsibility to 16 from 9, to be in line with recommendations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.