Lawyers demand new psychiatric evaluation of woman imprisoned in cave

Lawyers for Roddy Williams, who is being held in preventive custody after being charged with abducting his wife and imprisoning her in a cave, have made a vociferous case for his release on bail - dismissing a psychiatrist’s concerns about his wife’s mental health and asking for a new psychiatrist to be appointed.

Natalie Williams, 46, was discovered in an underground cavern in the Rinella area last November, her husband Roddie having admitted to causing her disappearance, when the police had intervened in an argument between the accused and his wife’s relatives in Triq is-Salvatur, Kalkara.

The woman had been missing for three days when she was found inside the cave, cold, dazed, and exposed to vermin inside the complex of underground rooms near the old Kalkara fortifications.

Roddy Williams has seen several requests for bail denied on the grounds that the woman had not yet testified, while Natalie Williams had presented the court with medical certificates saying that she was unfit to testify.

The husband’s defence lawyer Franco Debono told judge Antonio Mizzi in the Criminal Court that the accused had been in custody for three months because Williams was unable to testify.

“It is very unusual that the alleged victim takes three months to testify, because the law has evolved to allow vulnerable witness to testify via video conference,” he said.

“But the alleged victim testified twice in the inquiry and changed her testimony in a very material detail, first claiming to have been abducted and then saying she had gone into the cave out of her own free will."

“The place where she was supposedly kept prisoner is open at all times. The place was not pitch dark, as it had windows,” said the lawyer.

“She came to court to confirm separation proceedings, a month after this case started. We don’t know if she is frightened,” Debono said.

“She subsequently presented a medical certificate issued by doctor Stephen Spiteri who is being investigated for selling medical certificates. We have written instructions from our client to report Stephen Spiteri to the police, but are holding back on doing that just yet.

“But having [psychiatrist] David Cassar telling the court that because she’s having some sleepless nights and ruminations, she cannot testify, I do not think this is acceptable. Adopting this yardstick the court would come to a standstill because nobody would testify.”

It was in Mrs. Williams’ interest to testify as quickly as possible, said the lawyer. “I asked whether there were any physical symptoms. We are asking the court to appoint a psychiatrist to assess Natalie’s mental state and then decide on bail.”

Lawyer Kristina Garilli from the office of the Attorney General did not object to the appointment of a different psychiatrist, but rebutted the assertion that Natalie Williams didn’t want to testify.

“She’s in a very frail state at the moment... Both parties want her to testify. She wants to testify too.”

The judge said he would issue a decree from chambers on bail as soon as the parties agreed on a psychiatrist.

Lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri and Yanika Vidal appeared on behalf of Roddy Williams.