Wednesday, 4th November 2009 - 13:32CET
Victim tells court how she was raped
An 18-year-old girl who was allegedly raped by her 17-year-old uncle 10 years ago said today that she had never wanted the case to end up in court, but wanted her parents to tell her uncle that he was making a grave mistake.
The girl recounted her experiences to a jury this morning and said she still felt uncomfortable when she was with her boyfriend.
The girl, whose name cannot be published by court order, said she used to go to her grandmother's house every weekend.
One Saturday morning she went with her uncle to the roof. Soon after they got there, he pulled her pants down and started performing lewd acts.
She then described how she was raped and threatened not to say anything to anyone.
Scared and in pain, the girl promised not to tell anyone.
She put her dirty clothes in a bag and did not let her grandmother wash them.
Her mother saw the blood on my panties and the following Monday took her to a doctor who told her that it was her period.
The following week the same thing happened again.
At one time she told her mother that she did not want to go to her grandmother's house again.
However when she was at the house again she was raped in her uncle's room while her grandmother was out.
On another occasion, at Hal Far, she was forced to perform lewd acts in her grandfather's car, which the accused used to drive. The girl said she had resisted but he forced her to.
The girl said she did not speak up until she was 13 when she realised what had happened during a personal and social development class. She then told a close friend.
"When I closed my eyes I would remember what had happened. I told my friend to tell my mother because I was scared my mother would react badly and possibly hit me," the girl said.
"It was only after I had done some tests and a doctor said that I was not a virgin that my mother believed me. She was shocked because she didn't expect this from her brother.
"She was torn between helping me and trying to help my uncle. Me and my mother were always fighting because of this."
She said the whole family broke up, her brothers and sisters started threatening her by phoning her on her mobile. They blamed her mother even though it was her grandfather who told her to file a report.
Her uncle's girlfriend would also send SMSs to her mother, threatening her. She was warned that if her uncle went to prison, they would all suffer.
Later, the girl said, it was her grandfather who also told her mother to drop the case.
The girl said she had not wanted the case to reach this stage, but had wanted her parents to believe her and to warn her uncle about his mistakes.
The trial continues.
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Comments
I hope that justice will be done so that finally she might be able to move on.
Trials like this are of a very sensitive nature and could affect other abused children as to whether to speak out or not.
In any case it is always in a rape case, the word of the allgedly abused agaibnst the the alleged abuser. The lives of many men have been destroyed by the accusations of rape. Some are lucky that they are found eventually not guilty. But there have been cases where men have suffered incarceration for many years and later found to be completely innocent.
Research shows that an overwhelming percentage of poliocewomen who interview the alleged victims believe they are being told made up stories (74 % in Australia ,67 % in NZ
and 70% in the UK). It is always the one person's word against the other.
a difficult scenario altogether to ascertain the facts.
I can't believe the uncle's girlfriend would defend someone accused of rape. the usual family rubbish, someone arrested for rape would mean ''li mhux se jidru sbieh quddiem in-nies''
Despite what modern catholic indoctrinators will have us believe, certain actions ARE unforgivable as the bible clearly implies.
This unfortunate child was allegedly repeatedly abused by her uncle but she most probably felt abused and betrayed by others who tried to convince her to shut up.
A family that bullies one into submissively shutting up rather than fighting for compensation as retribution for abuse is not a family worth preserving. Neither is a family who uses emotional blackmail (the usual Maltese “tinkwetanix ghax ma niflahx ghal inkwiet u se jtini attakk ta’ qalb/titlghali l-pressjoni / se jkolli nzid id-doza tal-kalmanti / se tghaddini puplusija”) to manipulate relatives into doing whatever the manipulator wants.
The biggest problem is that so many girls (and boys) suffer abuse at the hands of those who are trusted within the family circle, and their suffering never becomes known. They carry their anguish and scars secretly throughout their lives and all the way to their grave.
The person needing protection is her not him. If guilty, he should be sent to jail for at least 25 years.
another question which comes to my mind is whether this man, if guilty, has raped other children. I will not be surprised, as usually these persons will have multiple offences..hence even the more important for justice to happen, and for such persons to be kept under watch even after they are realeased from their conviction. We need to protect our children.
how sad, poor girl!
God forbid we would reach such lows in Malta.. This case is very important - it can make rape/abuse victims speak up about their ordeal, especially if they've hidden it for years.
Girl, whoever you are, you're doing the right thing. Your extended family need to face the facts, and realise that your uncle, if guilty, needs to be punished for what he did.
However, apart from punishment, I think he also need therapy.. sometimes, bullies/abusers are in need of help as much as victims...
'Her mother saw the blood on my panties and the following Monday took her to a doctor who told her that it was her period.' (PERIOD AT 7 YEARS!!!)