Witness recalls how she found bullying victim in distress and ‘clutching her side’

A 15-year-old girl who was allegedly assaulted and stabbed was found visibly in distress and ‘clutching her side’ after having been allegedly subject to an attack involving a penknife, a passer-by told the Court.

Criminal proceedings against Jake Dalli Balzan, 21, who stands accused of causing slight injury to the victim, complicity, extortion, and possession of a firearm, resumed on Tuesday.

A friend of the alleged 15-year-old victim testified that despite her being friends with the victim for around two years, the victim had not told her much about the bullying she had endured. She did recall, however, that on one occasion the victim had informed her through a telephone call that she had given €40 to a 13-year-old girl after she found her waiting with a knife in the school toilets.

She further recounted how on the day of the incident, she had a presentiment that something happened to her friend once she saw an ambulance pass by.

A passer-by also took the witness stand, testifying that during the afternoon of 21 November 2024 she noted a girl crying and clutching her side. She recalled how the girl replied that she had been stabbed with a penknife when asked if she required assistance. 

Though she confirmed that the girl was visibly in distress, she could not confirm whether she saw blood as she had maintained quite a distance from her. 

Once asked for her parents’ phone number, the girl lost consciousness, the witness informed the Court. The Court also heard how the girl’s mother had stated that her daughter had received threats for some time. 

The father of the alleged victim also testified, stating how he noted distinct changes in the behaviour of his daughter as soon as the scholastic year had kicked off. He also recalled that on various occasions, he and other members of his family had noted missing amounts of money, with approximately €800 in total going missing. 

To this end, a small camera in the kitchen was installed. Through footage obtained by said camera, the father stated, he caught his daughter in the act of taking money. 

When confronted by her father, on the same day and in the presence of her headmaster, the daughter, the man recalled, trembled, stating that ‘they will kill me’. At this point, the girl had explained what had been taking place, with the father deciding that his daughter was not to attend school until the matter was resolved. 

Soon after, the girl had received threatening messages on social media platform Instagram.

Recounting the day of the attack which led his daughter to be taken to hospital, the father stated that he had been informed through a telephone call by a woman that his daughter was ‘lying on the ground’ even though, the father noted, she was meant to be at home. 

After rushing to the scene, the father noted that he found his daughter ‘covered’ by a sheet, which led him to expect the worst. It transpired that the sheet was used as the girl felt cold. 

The father testified that this was also not the first time his daughter wound up at the hospital, insofar as she had been on various occasions due to panic attacks. 

When cross-examined by defence lawyer David Bonello, the father confirmed that his daughter told him that she had recognised the written tattoo on the hand of her aggressor. It was noted by Dr. Bonello that the accused does not have such a tattoo. 

A request for bail was also denied during the sitting.