Magistrate denies rape victim option to testify via video-conference

A court was told that a Hungarian woman who has accused a Libyan man of having raped her in Paceville earlier this month, had registered a blood alcohol level in excess of 200 milligrams per decilitre.

Police inspector Matthew Spagnol took to the witness stand in the compilation of evidence against Ezzedin Salem Elaoud, 26, from Tripoli, who is accused of the assault and rape of a 27-year-old woman in Paceville on 5 February.

Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona heard Spagnol explain that the woman had run out of an apartment in Wilġa Street, St Julian’s, with only a towel to preserve her modesty, hammering on the door of the accused’s neighbour, another Egyptian national and crying for help.

Replying to questions made in cross-examination by defence lawyer Arthur Azzopardi, Spagnol said that the neighbour had confirmed that after some time, the accused had tried to return the woman’s clothes. The accused also knew the victim’s name, the court was told.

Magistrate Micallef Trigona rejected a request, by the prosecution, to allow the victim to testify via video conferencing, saying that he wanted her to testify in person, after the court hears the testimony of forensic expert Mario Scerri.

Azzopardi requested that before the case continues, he be allowed to view Dr Scerri’s medical report and be shown CCTV footage from inside a Paceville club where the victim had been accompanied by her friends as well as the Libyan, together with recordings of three telephone calls which the woman had made to the police.