A Libyan man was this afternoon charged with attempting to rape a Swedish girl at St George's Bay on Sunday at 5am, although the defence is claiming that the two were being intimate and the woman had a sudden change of heart. 

Ahmed Rasem Franko, 28, was accused of attempting the rape the woman, holding her against her will, indecently assaulting her, slightly injuring her and offending public morals.

Police Inspector Elton Taliana explained that the man was caught in the act by policemen who were on patrol.

"Had the police not acted immediately, we would be here with a rape charge," he told Magistrate Neville Camilleri. He also said the case happened on the defendant's last day in Malta. 

Defence lawyer Veronique Dalli said that although her client was being painted as a "monster" who could not control his sexual whims, the story was not as the prosecution was alleging.

She said the alleged victim was drinking at a Paceville bar with the accused for an entire evening and had even provoked him sexually.  She said the woman kissed him and had made sexual advances towards him, telling him she wanted to be intimate with him.  

When the two went to St George's Bay and continued kissing, the woman had a change of heart when things heated up and started screaming for help. 

Inspector Taliana said that this was the first time he was hearing this version of the story because at no point during the man's interrogation did he say that he had been with the woman that evening.

Mr Franko was remanded in custody after Magistrate Camilleri denied his request for bail since the alleged victim still had to testify. 

The court upheld a request by the defence for the prosecution to preserve closed circuit television footage of Hugo's Bar, where her client was drinking with the alleged victim.