A Maltese-born convicted sex offender who tried to abduct a 12-year-old girl in broad daylight in Ontario, Canada, in December 2009, has been deported.
She’s really scared. She won’t go outside
It is not known if Joseph Troisi, 54, has returned to Malta.
He had tried to force a young girl into his Cadillac after stopping her to ask for directions in 2009. The kidnapping was foiled by passers-by, who heard the girl screaming and rushed to save her.
An Ontario court deemed the attempted abduction sexually motivated and handed Mr Troisi a five-year prison sentence in June 2011.
He was also listed on Canada’s sex offender register for a decade, following a psychologist’s report which deemed Mr Troisi “a substantial risk to reoffend”.
Mr Troisi was granted parole a couple of months ago, having served some 15 months in prison while awaiting trial and another 15 months since then.
But Canadian laws clearly state that non-citizens convicted of serious crimes must be deported upon their release from jail.
The Times contacted Canadian immigration authorities to confirm Mr Troisi’s deportation.
Authorities said that data protection issues meant they “could not confirm or deny the removal of any individual”. They, however, confirmed that Mr Troisi was ordered to leave Canada last August. The order is subject to appeal.
“Once due process has been completed, those under removal order are expected to respect our laws and leave Canada or they will be removed,” a Canadian immigration spokesman said.
It is not known whether Mr Troisi has decided to put up a legal battle to try and remain in Canada.
According to Maltese law, the Police Commissioner can petition the courts to have people convicted of sex-related offences abroad, such as Mr Troisi, added to Malta’s sex offender register.
The court can then apply the foreign court’s penalty – a 10-year sex offender listing in this particular case – as if it were a domestic court’s judgment, a Justice Ministry spokesman explained.
She won’t even go into the washroom without someone standing outside the door
The Times asked the police whether they were aware of Mr Troisi’s case and whether they intended seeking to have him added to Malta’s list. No response was forthcoming at the time of publication.
Being on the register, which is held privately by the courts and not available for public viewing, would preclude Mr Troisi from taking up any work in proximity to children.
Although the register came into force last January, a first name was only added in June. Things have since picked up somewhat and two men convicted last week of separate crimes concerning minors have both been added to the list.
Back in 2009, Mr Troisi’s case had caused widespread outrage in the sleepy Toronto suburb of Mimico where the attempted abduction happened. Locals’ anger spurred 2,280 residents into signing a petition calling for the courts to throw the book at him.
“She’s really scared. She won’t go outside; she won’t even go into the washroom without someone standing outside the door,” the 12-year-victim’s sister had said at the time.