Bus driver jailed for rape

A 24-year-old bus driver has been jailed for six years for raping an 11-year-old girl and defiling two 13-year-old girls and a 14-year-old boy two years ago.

Magistrate Lawrence Quintano found Wayne Zahra, of Cospicua, guilty of the rape and defilement of the minors after hearing how he had forced the 11-year-old (X) to have sex with him in his bus and in the presence of the other three minors.

The magistrate heard how, on February 15, 2004, the mother of one of the 13-year-olds (Y) filed a police report saying her daughter had sex with Mr Zahra.

Y had a 13-year-old female friend (Z) who was dating a 14-year-old boy (V). The boy was a friend of Mr Zahra and, as the girls were introduced to him, Y started fancying the driver.

When Mr Zahra invited the girls for a drive on his bus they accepted the invitation. While the girls were on the bus Mr Zahra exposed himself to Y. Although she initially refused, she eventually had sex with him.

The two had sex several times over the next few weeks. They had sex in the bus, during his breaks, and also in his Marsacala flat.

Z corroborated Y's version and admitted that she too had had sex with Mr Zahra several times in his bus. Then, in January, X (the 11-year-old girl) went onto the bus with the other three (Y, Z and V). Mr Zahra wanted to have sex with X and take her virginity but she did not want.

V told Mr Zahra to leave X alone but he ordered her to remove her trousers and, although she looked scared, she obeyed him.

Mr Zahra then pinned her against the seat so she could not leave and raped her. When he saw that she was bleeding he told her that his wish to take her virginity had come true. He told her not tell anyone about what had happened.

In a statement to the police, Mr Zahra admitted having sex with the girls in his bus but denied raping any of them. He said: "Many ships have sunk and airplanes crashed... I made a mistake... First they drive you crazy then they get you into trouble. I won't make the mistake again."

On handing down judgment, the magistrate noted that the fact that X and Z had consensual sex with Mr Zahra did not mean he was to be cleared of their defilement. As an adult he was bound not to take advantage of such situations.

Dr Quintano ended the judgment by quoting an extract from a judgment handed down 31 years ago: "The court would be failing in its duties if it did not take this opportunity to advise young people of both sexes and their parents to avoid the type of promiscuity that resulted in this case. This may lead to drugs and the country's ruin."

Police Inspector Anthony Cassar prosecuted.