A 38-year-old man was cleared of sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl because of inconsistencies in her version of events.

The girl, who is not being named to protect her identity, had left her Mellieħa home on August 2, 2007 following an argument with her stepmother after she hid bed sheets she had soiled during the night.

She decided to go to her grandmother’s house in Attard and met an unidentified foreign man who gave her a lift. What happened next is not so clear.

According to the girl, she met the accused, who cannot be named by court order, at a place where he works in Attard. She told him she had been kicked out of the house by her mother. He felt sorry for her, bought her a drink and eventually invited her over to his house to see his pet dogs and tortoise.

According to the man’s version, the girl showered at his place and he gave her a Lm5 banknote (equivalent to €11.65) and his telephone number.

After spending some time at his house, the accused said he took the girl back to where he met her, where she was found by her aunt.

He admitted he had kissed her but insisted it was an affectionate gesture.

The girl corroborated what was said by the accused but added the crucial claim that he had touched her intimately and that she ran away from him before being found by her aunt.

When she spoke to police officers she retracted her claim, saying it was her parents who told her what to say.

Her stepmother testified that the girl had initially mentioned nothing about the man but later told her he had only kissed and hugged her.

Magistrate Audrey Demicoli noted that before her there were two different versions of what had happened at the man’s house.

Although the accused and the victim largely corroborated the events, when it came to the alleged abuse the versions were contradictory.

Magistrate Demicoli noted that the girl’s credibility was called into doubt when she gave different versions of what had happened and that the doubt favoured the accused.

She therefore acquitted him after finding that the prosecution did not prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.

Lawyers Michael and Lucio Sciriha appeared for the accused.