Sickle attack ‘victim’ accused of defiling 16-year-old girlfriend

A former 30-year-old boyfriend of a 16-year-old was yesterday remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to participating in sexual acts with her last May.

The accused, Josef Grech, of Rabat, is the alleged victim in a case in which the girl’s grandfather and uncle are accused of trying to kill him when they found out about their relationship.

Dressed in black, Mr Grech stood in the dock and spoke only to confirm his particulars and enter a not guilty plea. Police Inspector Louis Calleja told Magistrate Marseann Farrugia this was a very serious case and that a man of his age knew exactly what he was doing to a vulnerable teenager.

Defence lawyer Simon Micallef Stafrace noted that the case did not revolve around a 10-year-old but a 16-year-old young woman who, by today’s standards, was not as innocent as made out to be.

Magistrate Farrugia remanded him in custody.

On June 17, Mr Grech testified against the girl’s grandfather, John Vassallo, 61, and his 25-year-old son, Johann, both of Dingli and said that they had attacked him with a sickle two weeks earlier.

He categorically denied that the relationship with the girl was of a sexual nature and said it was actually condoned by her parents. Her mother had once even let them sleep together at their home in a double bed, he claimed. The problems between him and the family began when he and the girl had discovered the mother was flirting with a man on Facebook. The woman had also flirted with him, he had claimed.