Man, 63, rapes grand-daughters
A 63-year-old man pleaded guilty yesterday to raping three of his granddaughters, two of whom are aged six and eight.
There was an atmosphere of unease in the courtroom as inspector Raymond Aquilina read out the charges. Subdued, the man whispered his particulars when Magistrate Jacqueline Padovani asked for them. His name cannot be printed on court order to protect the identity of the victims.
The man shrugged and looked down when asked how he pleaded.
"Ħeq, I admit". He was allowed a few minutes with his lawyer to reconsider his position, as is the practice, but filed a guilty plea once more.
The court will now move to sentence him in the coming days but his lawyer asked for a psychologist to draw up a profile prior to sentencing.
"It is clear from his past, and even the statement he gave to the police and the way he answered, that he needs a psychologist, perhaps, even to suggest a way forward when you move to sentence him," lawyer Richard Sladden told the magistrate.
The man was charged detaining at his home and raping his three granddaughters earlier this month, one of whom is over 18. They are expected to give evidence today.
18 Comments
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Ernest Vella
Aug 13th 2008, 21:59
ill or not the three children suffered abuse...we must protect the victims of such crime and not say that he need a psychiatric....for all those who abuse children than can be said that are not guilty....he needs cure but he must be sent to prison too.
Emmanuel Mazzitelli
Aug 13th 2008, 20:24
This man needs a psychiatrist not a psychologist .
dbugeja
Aug 13th 2008, 18:56
quoting ' it tis clear from his past and even the statement he gave to the police and the way he answered that he needs a psychologist '
Question: Did anybody notice before that something was not right with his mind? Did they have to let him loose and harm others?
Of course now he is the victim poor thing!
dbugeja
Aug 13th 2008, 18:46
@kenneth Cassar
You are mixing il hass with something else. dont bring racism into this issue it has absolutely nothing to do with it.
maria bonnici
Aug 13th 2008, 17:32
lock him up and through the key away
Lola Attard
Aug 13th 2008, 15:37
A. Muscat.
What has colour /religion got to do with this exactly!? There was no nationality mentioned here, so I am assuming he is Maltese. What we need to look at here is how many times do these happen under our noses & are brushed under the carpet even when family members are aware that it's going on! Everything is kept hush hush cause people talk!
I commend the girl that spoke up, it takes a lot of guts to come forward especially when it's your grandad, the person that is meant to love you & protect you.
I hope that the sentence is a severe one and no, not in a mental hospital in a proper cell where he belongs!
Corinne Vella
Aug 13th 2008, 13:30
A. Muscat: X'ghandu x'jaqsam?
A. Muscat
Aug 12th 2008, 18:31
@ Kenneth Cassar
Just to confirm what a thing of what I have just said down here, please spare a minute and read the following……loll
Tuesday, 12th August 2008
Somali in court over Khat
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20080812/local/somali-in-court-over-khat
A. Muscat
Aug 12th 2008, 16:23
@ Kenneth Cassar
Sir,
If the above man was Black or Muslim here the accusation is tripled! You may see any of the following scenarios:
• A blog full of Vella’s and Galea’s pointing finger at the government and blaming the government. Yet asking the latter to take a firm and harsh actions against all black and all Muslims.
• Statistics (even invented ones) of the number of crimes black peoples or Muslims have committed in Malta.
• Don’t ask me why, but they may also ask the government to discuss the matter with Libya.
• Many comments of those cultural protectionist pointing fingers left, right and centre.
If one day we have a Black Holy Father, the whole world would be beautiful. But I think the divine orders aren’t color blind!
maryann borg
Aug 12th 2008, 10:05
I congratulate the person (probably the eldest victim) who decided to report this crime! It takes great courage to report a family member. May more victims follow suite and thus spare great suffering of other future victims!
Kenneth Cassar
Aug 12th 2008, 08:53
Good observation, A Muscat (although I don't agree with the death penalty). Imagine the uproar if this man was black or muslim.
C J Allen
Aug 11th 2008, 17:56
@Ramon Casha.
Perhaps we were reading different news items; the article is about a man who pleaded guilty in court (though it seems odd that the court would sit yesterday (Sunday!), and ends by saying that the girls are expected to give evidence to-day.
A. Muscat
Aug 11th 2008, 17:44
Any body there taking numbers of incest cases in Malta? I do
Any body there taking numbers of paedophilia cases in Malta? I do
Any body there taking numbers of rape cases in Malta? I do
I say so because I know there are many are only intertsted in calculating the illegal immigrants numbers. While in reality these crimes are the REAL THREAT TO OUR COUNTRY.
We only know about the reported cases? What about the unreported cases? hep
If I were to make a laws: Killing offenders in public squares is good for such peoples!. Sound harsh and inhuman but isn't what they doing is inhuman too?
If anybody thinks that we getting modern, please think again, and look at it correctly, you may notice that we are getting backward and more unsecured even among our family memebers!
Carina Dimech
Aug 11th 2008, 15:05
A PSYCHOLOGIST???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ARE YOU SERIOUS???? what's worse is that it seems to be 'clear from his past' that he needs a psychologist (p.s. probably psychiatrist is more appropriate) What i would like to know is if this man was ever admitted to Mount Carmel and sent away prematurely as with many other cases.
Ramon Casha
Aug 11th 2008, 13:47
@C J Allen:
I don't see any indications anywhere that the girls have testified in court, and - although I have very little knowledge of courts and stuff - I do believe that at this stage he's only being charged. The actual trial comes later.
@Hamish "what they have been through is worst that a death sentence for them"
What they have been through is terrible, but... worse than a death sentence? Are you saying it would have been better if they'd been killed?
Hamish Dempster
Aug 11th 2008, 13:08
What a shame ,poor girls, what they have been through is worst that a death sentence for them.
With the same reasoning i hope that the learned judge or magistrate will show no mercy and dumb the culcrip in a cell ( not a mad house) but a real cell and have the opportunity to lose the keys.
Pierre Agius
Aug 11th 2008, 12:10
I just hope that the sentence will truly represent the horrendous act and not the usual brushing aside. It should be a clear message to all society, a deterrant.
C J Allen
Aug 11th 2008, 10:23
Why are these unfortunate girls testifying in court? The testimony will be as traumatic as the rapes themselves, and a guilty plea by the offender is supposed to render their appearances unnecessary. Have they not suffered enough?