Girl, 6, defiled in games room

A games room attendant was jailed for three years when he pleaded guilty to defiling a six-year-old girl who was playing there.

Anthony Camilleri, 37, of Tarxien admitted to defiling the girl and to violent indecent assault at the Bay Street games' room last December.

Magistrate Jacqueline Padovani heard Mr Camilleri explain how he stood behind the girl when she went on a motorcycle-ride game. He then touched her bottom and she left.

The magistrate also heard a psychiatrist recommend that she believed Mr Camilleri ought to remain in the community. The psychiatrist explained that Mr Camilleri suffered from "inadequacies" to his character that made it difficult for him to interact with adults. For this reason he felt comfortable around children.

But the magistrate noted that the law did not allow for a suspended jail term in such cases. This was a serious case in which a six-year-old had been defiled in a place where her parents expected that she would be safe.

The magistrate therefore jailed Mr Camilleri for three years.

Police Inspector Carlo Ellul prosecuted.