Woman lived off earnings of her prostitute girlfriend

A young woman with a drug problem yesterday admitted to living off the earnings of her girlfriend’s prostitution over the past few months.

Romina Azzopardi, 22, lives with her girlfriend Yanica Aquilina, 20, in Cospicua, the court heard.

Ms Azzopardi’s defence lawyer, Roberto Montalto, argued in pleas on punishment that she had never accepted hard cash from Ms Aquilina. They only lived together and the police had charged her with living off her girlfriend’s earnings.

It was entirely Ms Aquilina’s decision to be a prostitute and there was no coercion at all involved, the lawyer held, stressing that his client also had a drug problem.

In rebuttal, Police Inspector Graziella Muscat said that Ms Azzopardi’s behaviour had to stop. “A line has to be drawn at some point” as the accused had also relapsed and committed a crime while on probation.

Her drug problem was leading her to steal and that left victims, she said. “I hope she solves her drug problem so that I don’t see her in court again.”

Dr Montalto told the court he had two suggestions for punishment, the first being an effective prison term and a second, more ideal, being a treatment order.

Inspector Muscat said the accused must be made to attend a drug rehabilitation programme for her own sake.

Magistrate Gabriella Vella postponed judgment, with Ms Azzopardi being held in custody until then.