The woman who was dumped into an underground hole in Kalkara and left for dead by her estranged husband was first forced to jump into the cold sea, her father told The Malta Independent.
Nathalie Williams, 46, was reported missing on Friday and was found late on Monday evening. The woman was found in an underground space near Fort Ricasoli and Fort Rinella.
The woman's husband, Roddy Williams, who is from the Seychelles, has been arrested on suspicion of having detained his wife.
The Malta Independent yesterday spoke to Nathalie's father, Charles Higgans, who revealed that the couple had a history of domestic violence. The police were aware of this because Nathalie had filed numerous reports over the years. Some years back, in fact, Roddy Williams was convicted of having caused the woman grievous injuries.
Charles said his daughter had been living with him ever since another violence episode. "On Wednesday of last week he was waiting her outside the house as she arrived from work. At one point I heard a lot of screaming and crying and I rushed to see what was happening. He was pulling her but eventually let go and drove off. Nathalie was in a state of shock."
Less than 48hours another incident unfolded. Charles told this newsroom that on Friday Nathalie was supposed to return from work at around 6pm. At around 8pm he started calling her on her mobile, only to find that it was switched off. "I went to Paola, hoping to find her there. I then went to the police station to report her missing, only to be told that I needed to go to the Fgura police station. When I arrived at the second station a sergeant was waiting for me."
Charles told the sergeant everything he knew but the reply was not what he expected. "He said to give it some time, that maybe she had missed the bus. I insisted they start looking for her immediately because we had often received threats from Roddy and had filed several reports."
The police eventually accompanied him to Nathalie's house in Kalkara, but the woman was not home. "My family and I did not stop searching for my daughter."
An emotional Charles recounted how his daughter was eventually found on Monday. "Her son was out walking the dog late in the afternoon and suddenly he spotted his mother's husband eating sitting on a bench and eating grapes. The boy tried to restrain the man until help arrived. My grandson asked bystanders to call the police. When the officers arrived Roddy surrendered and told them where Nathalie was being kept."
When Nathalie's brother and the police arrived at the place where she was being detained, the victim was found in very poor healt. She was found in a sort of tunnel underneath fortifications found between Fort Rinella and Fort Ricasoli. Nathalie was covered in dust and unconscious. She was cold, hungry and thirsty. The father said that the daughter could not climb up because the hole was too deep.
Charles said he first saw his daughter in hospital. "She was very weak, trembling, almost dead. After some hours she started speaking some words and tried to tell us and the police what she had gone through. She said her husband had pressed a piece of glass to her neck and threatened to cut her head off with it."
The site where Nathalie was found has since been visited by Magistrate Joseph Mifsud, who is leading an inquiry.
(Photos Michael Camilleri)
Asked what kind of threats the family had received in the past, Charles said Roddy had threatened to kill him, his daughter and her children. He also called her a 'whore'.
"Nathalie decided to break off the relationship around two months ago, after he beat her savagely in St Julian's. She had filed a report at the St Julian's police station. She has been living with me ever since and has started separation proceedings. I would tell her right from the start of their relationship that he was no good but she would say that she loves him."
On 9 April 2011, Magistrate Doreen Clark had found Roddy Williams guilty, upon admission, of causing grievous injuries to Nathalie while in a drunken state. He was sentenced to six months in prison suspended for two years. The court had also issued a protection order of three years in favour of the woman and her family.
from The Malta Independent http://ift.tt/2ijINAQ
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