Family made many reports to the police

The family of a 16-year-old girl who was allegedly having a sexual relationship with a 30-year-old man filed several reports to the police before the man was attacked with a sickle.

Woman Police Constable Cassandra Grech testified yesterday that she had personally handled about five reports on the illicit relationship but knew that “substantially” more reports had been made on the matter before the incident, in which the girl’s grandfather and uncle allegedly tried to kill her lover.

WPC Grech was testifying in the case John Vassallo, 61, and his 25-year-old son, Johann, both from Rabat, who are pleading not guilty to the attempted murder of Josef Grech in April in Mtarfa.

Mr Grech, also from Rabat, was on Tuesday charged with defiling the girl and participating in sexual acts with her. He was remanded in custody.

When questioned by defence lawyer Franco Debono about the contents of the reports, the officer said some were about inappropriate mes-sages sent overFacebook to the girl by the man and another about insults against the grandfather.

Sources said the family had filed about 16 reports to the Rabat police station and another to the Vice Squad between February and June complaining about the relationship.

In his evidence in court, Mr Grech said that the Vassallos had attacked him with a sickle, tied a cord around his neck and told him they would tie him to their van and drive off.

He insisted his relationship with the girl was never sexual adding that her parents had allowed him to sleep at their house and her mother prepared a double bed for them to sleep in.

Mr Grech also testified he did not know how old the girl was, with the family’s lawyer asking how was it then that he had prepared a surprise party for her 16th birthday in January of this year.