A Hungarian woman allegedly raped by a Libyan man suffered various bruises but no lesions were found in her private parts, a forensic pathologist told a court this morning.

However, the victim might not have been in a position to offer any resistance as she was heavily inebriated, the expert added.

Forensic pathologist Mario Scerri was testifying in the compilation of evidence against 26-year-old Ezzedin Salem Elaoud, from Tripoli, who is pleading not guilty to rape, assaulting the woman and causing her slight injuries.

The accused is an asylum seeker residing in St Julian’s and had been arrested after the victim was found on the steps of an apartment block in Triq Wilga Paceville at about 4am, on February 6. While in hospital, the woman, 27, identified the accused as one of her aggressors.

During today’s sitting before Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona, Dr Scerri said that the Hungarian woman had told him that she had been in Malta for about four weeks, where she was working as duty manager at a St Julian’s hostel.

On the night of the incident, the woman went out with her friends to a Paceville club at about 11pm. According to the victim, apart from half a bottle of sparkling wine which she had consumed before she ventured outdoors, she had no drinks at the club, Dr Scerri said.

In her recollections, the woman told Dr Scerri that she was dancing at the club, but all of a sudden found herself inside an apartment, where she was slapped by two men, one of them named James, and subsequently raped.

No explanation was given by the woman on how she had found herself inside the apartment.

The alleged victim claimed that she managed to escape, but could not even tell if she was dressed up or naked, Dr Scerri told the court. She also told him that she suffered from bipolar disorder.

The expert, however, noted that blood tests carried out at Mater Dei Hospital a few hours after the case, revealed that her alcohol level was very high and compatible with somebody who had drank much more than half a bottle of wine.

As for the injuries, the forensic pathologist said that the woman was found with bruises near her eye, in her shoulder and elbow, as well as a love bite on her neck. However, no lesions were found in her private parts even though medical tests confirmed that intercourse had taken place.

On his part, the accused had several scratches on his body, a bruised lip and a love bite on his shoulder.

Questioned by the prosecution, Dr Scerri said that if the woman had tried to resist the aggressor, it would be very unlikely not to have any signs of violence in her private parts.

He added that one plausible explanation could have been that the woman was drunk and so was not fully conscious. The fact that there were no external signs of violence, could either be due to the fact that there was no forced penetration or full cooperation, the expert said.

Police inspector John Spiteri is prosecuting, while legal procurator Quentin Tanti, is appearing parte civile for the woman. Lawyer Arthur Azzopardi is defence counsel.

The case continues next week.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.