The court case involving a Dutchman accused of raping his ex-girlfriend at the same time that she emailed him sexy photographs of her naked body will probably continue behind closed doors after the police claimed that the case could offend public morals. 

Police Inspector Yvonne Farrugia asked Magistrate Aaron Bugeja to order that the case continues behind closed doors since the criminal case against Mr Stelligwerf is also being heard behind closed doors. 

Johan Stellingwerf. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

The request had the backing of the woman's lawyer, Giannella de Marco, who is appearing as parte civile.

The request came during the fourth sitting of challenge proceedings initiated by Mr Stellingwerf against the police, challenging them to prosecute the woman for lying about him and filing false reports. There is a ban on the publication of her name.

He is requesting the police to prosecute the complainant on the basis of four criminal complaints filed against her between November 2013 and August last year.

Defence lawyer Jason Grima objected to the request, explaining that the request is being made during the fourth sitting and after many details had emerged during previous court hearings. He complained that the same thing had happened during the criminal case, with the prosecution requesting that the case continues behind closed door more than a year after proceedings had started. 

Dr de Marco said it was "incongruent" that two cases on the same details were not treated similarly in terms of publicity. She said her client was "embarrassed" with details that had emerged in court and had learnt of the challenge proceedings through the newspapers. She also said that secrecy guaranteed that people facing similar situations come forward with their complaints. 

Dr Grima said that such a request ought to be made in writing and he should be given the opportunity to reply in writing. Magistrate Bugeja therefore postponed the sitting to October, giving both parties enough time to make their requests in writing, promising to decree on the request at the next sitting. 

During the last sitting, Mr Stellingwerf submitted a dossier in court with a collection of 1,300 ‘hot’ photographs that the woman had sent him throughout their five-month relationship.

He told Magistrate Bugeja that the pictures, which included close-up shots of her vagina and of her nude body in different positions, were sent to him by email at the same time that she was alleging he had raped her several times.

The woman is alleging that the man raped her repeatedly for hours on end and on an almost daily basis. He is facing criminal proceedings over these claims.

He gave the magistrate a file with different coloured folders containing the photographs and split into the various trips abroad and the time they were together in Malta.

He described the relationship as a “happy” one, in which the woman never complained.

He explained how he arrived in Malta in March 2013 and met the woman in Paceville. She asked him if he wanted to be her husband for the night and then took him to her house in Marsa where they had consensual sex.

They began dating in May and were in “an exciting relationship”, he said as he added that he still had feelings for the woman who is accusing him of raping her.

Mr Stellingwerf questioned whether it made sense that a woman who claimed she had been raped several times would travel to Holland to visit and stay with the person who she is claiming had raped her.

The case continues.