Migrants sentenced to 24 years’ jail collectively for rape

In a judgment handed this morning by Judge Michael Mallia, four migrants were sentenced to a total of 24 years in jail between them, after they were found guilty of raping a Maltese woman at the Marsa Open Centre in March 2007.

Somalis Muhammed Ali Hasan was jailed for 11 years over his direct involvement in the rape, while the others were separately found guilty over their alleged participation in the crime. Abubaker Ahmed Abdilrahman for five years, Omar Osman and Sudanese national Otman Hasan for four years each.

Three out of the four are set to be released from prison within the next hours, after having already served five years and seven months in preventive custody.

Their trial was delayed for the past five years after different lawyers renounced the defence.

The four migrants stood trial behind closed doors last week.