A man has been jailed for six years after he was found guilty of repeatedly sexually abusing the seven-year-old daughter of his former partner. 

The 49-year-old man spent some time living at Dar Suriet il-Bnidem, a home for the homeless in Valletta. His name is not being mentioned to protect the identity of the minor, who he repeatedly sexually abused in Marsascala in January 2009 and the preceding months. 

Magistrate Audrey Demicoli heard how the girl was one of eight siblings raised in Church-run institutions since she was one-and-a-half years old. The police began investigating when the girl spoke to one of the nuns about her ordeal. She had also told her brothers about it. 

The girl told the court that the first time she was abused was at her mother’s home in Marsascala. 

She said that one time she was asleep and her aggressor woke her up, removed his trousers and removed hers too, placed her on his knee with her back facing him and started to place his hands on her private parts. 

She said that she had told him that he was hurting her but despite this, he continued with the abuse. According to the minor, this was not an isolated case and the abuse continued.

The girl said that her mother was never around when the abuse took place and it often took place at the grandmother's house too. 

She said the man used to stick his tongue into her mouth and had warned her that if she said a word he would beat her up as well as members of her family. 

The minor told the court that she would spend time with her mother and the accused in a garage where they used to make adult movies. 

The girl said her mother suspected that something was going on since one time, her mother saw her without clothes and asked her what was happening to which the victim replied “nothing”.

The court said that although there were conflicting versions to what had happened - such as the victim having said that the abuse happened several times and her brother stated that it happened once - it was normal for minors to mix certain details due to their young age. 

Magistrate Demicoli said that there was no reason to believe that the story was made up so she jailed the man for six years. 

Police Inspector Louise Calleja prosecuted.