A domestic violence victim has given harrowing testimony against a man who allegedly beat her, before selling her into prostitution, telling a court how he beat her up so badly she couldn't work.
The 31-year-old man from Libya was arraigned under arrest before Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit this afternoon by Inspectors Roxanne Tabone, Roderick Attard and Joseph Busuttil, charged with forcing the woman into prostitution, living off the earnings of prostitution, insulting and threatening the woman and slightly injuring her, amongst other charges.
Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit heard the victim testify via video conference, in a sitting which was held behind closed doors on Tuesday.
The victim is understood to have said that she had befriended the accused online and they had eventually gone to live together in St Paul's Bay with some other people. She lived as a prisoner, the court was told. Over time, the accused became increasingly aggressive and violent and on one occasion he had punched woman in the chest, causing her to collapse. The police had been called but the victim had withdrawn her report as accused had promised to change.
Over time, the violence got worse and more regular. The woman lost her job as she couldn't go to work with her face visibly bruised. This led to money problems. Her son would send cash from abroad but the accused, an alcoholic, would spend it all.
The accused then started to use the victim's mobile phone to chat with men and invite them to the apartment for sex against payment.
She had filed a domestic violence report with the police but had not mentioned the prostitution issue out of shame and fear. After the accused was arraigned over the beating, the woman started being followed by men who would threaten her with death if she didn't withdraw her complaint. She did.
Things came to a head last week in Birzebbugia, when the accused, after drinking for two days, insisted that she contact a certain man to give her some money. When she did so, the person said he was at work, but the accused went after the man with a knife and attacked him. Neighbours saw the ensuing commotion and to exculpate himself, the accused made the woman say the man had raped her. She confessed to this during questioning and the Libyan man was subsequently investigated.
The woman told the police that she had never reported the accused because she was terrified of him. He had also threatened to release video recordings of her performing sex acts if she disobeyed him.
The defence did not request bail. The case continues on Monday.
Inspectors Roxanne Tabone, Roderick Attard and Joseph Busuttil are prosecuting. Lawyers Arthur Azzopardi and Alfred Abela are appearing for the victim. Lawyer Martin Fenech was legal aid to the accused.
Names are being withheld to protect the identity of the victim.
from The Malta Independent https://ift.tt/2KJaJOP
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