Man convicted of violent indecent assault

A Libyan man who has been held in preventive custody since October 2008 was today convicted of the violent indecent assault of a Maltese woman. He was found not guilty of attempted rape.

Abdelsalem M.N. Hassin, 30, was convicted of having attacked the Maltese woman he had met earlier in Paceville.

The court found that the man had used 'extreme violence' in having beaten the woman. He had also shown an intention to rape her but stopped short of doing so.

The woman in her evidence said the man had pushed her to the ground and punched and kicked her. As she tried to get up he threw her down again and pulled off her clothes. He also took off his pants but she then fell unconscious.

When she recovered, she saw the accused arranging his clothes. She got up and ran off.

The court, basing itself on the evidence given by the woman and medical experts, said there was no doubt that the woman had been assaulted. The man's intentions were also very clear, but he had stopped short of committing rape.

He was therefore jailed for 20 months for violent indecent assult, seriously injuring the woman and offending public morals.

In view of the time spent in preventive custody the man was granted his freedom.