Syrian charged with raping ex-girlfriend

A 31-year-old Syrian national living in Marsaskala was remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to 19 charges including rape, attempted grievous bodily harm, damaging of private property and threatening his former girlfriend.

Inspector Trevor Micallef and Melvyn Camilleri explained that the man had been wanted by the police since July 2012.

"Although he knew he was wanted and there were various arrest warrants against him, not only did he stay in hiding but bluffed with third parties about how he was taking the police for a ride," the inspectors said.

The man is charged with raping his former girlfriend, slightly injuring her, attempting to cause her grievous bodily harm, damaging her vehicle and stealing her laptop, threatening and assaulting her relatives, damaging private property, being in Malta without a legal permit and forging public documents.

The prosecution recounted that the Syrian national, who works as a plasterer, had married a Maltese woman but separated from her over eight years ago. Following the dissolution of his marriage he was denied a residence permit and Maltese citizenship, however he stayed in Malta illegally. Subsequently he had a relationship with another person and moved in with her. He also forged an identity card and a passport on his brother's name. The police have still not retrieved the forged documents.

Defence lawyer Kenneth Grima requested bail for the accused, claiming he has no reason to abscond and was himself a victim in the case.

"He lived with the alleged victim for eight years. When he caught her frequenting another man and a woman, he left her and as revenge she filed against him claiming he raped her," the lawyer said.

Dr Grima argued that the allegation of rape was an attitude adopted by many who felt injured after the end of a relationship, but that the offence was difficult to prove, particularly given that the couple had had an intimate relation of eight years. "The prosecution has not exhibited a medical report, nor any proof of violence suffered by the woman. What if doctors later inform the court that there was no rape?" he asked.

However the prosecution objected to the request for bail, stating that the accused was not trustworthy.

"The facts are different that what the defence is claiming," the prosecuting inspector said. "Not only did the accused threaten and physically abuse his girlfriend, but when she did not pay him for the car he allegedly bought her, he burnt the vehicle, not caring about damaging other people's property," Inspector Camilleri explained. Furthermore the victim was so scared of her aggressor she did not report the rape.

"It only came to light through our investigations. There was a history of domestic violence which the girlfriend kept trying to forgive."

Allegedly the accused also created a fake Facebook profile aimed at showing his girlfriend as being a bi-sexual. The profile has since been taken off the web.

Magistrate Charmaine Galea denied bail and remanded the accused in custody.

Inspectors Melvyn Camilleri and Trevor Micallef prosecuted, while lawyer Kenneth Grima appeared for the accused.