A Gozo court cleared a man of dragging his ex-girlfriend into his car and slightly injuring her after the woman withdrew her complaint even though her father insisted that the case continued.

Magistrate Joseph Mifsud ruled that the police were obliged to respect the wishes of the complainant - that is, the woman - and not a family member who had no juridical interest in the proceedings.

On June 14 the ex-boyfriend was charged with causing slight injuries to the woman, breaching his bail conditions and relapsing.

Magistrate Mifsud had heard how the accused had bumped into the woman near Ramla Bay in Gozo, as she was walking to her car. He allegedly grabbed the woman, dragged her into his car, and drove her to Xaghra, near the Calypso Caves, where the two spent an hour trying to talk through their differences.

Later on the woman filed a report at the Victoria police station and presented a medical certificate stating that she had suffered slight injuries in the incident.

However, the next day, she told police she wished to withdraw the report even though her father insisted that the police proceed with the case.

Lawyers Franco Debono, Angie Muscat and Joseph Grech were defence counsel.

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