Two Form 3 girls were yesterday charged in Gozo with the defilement of a fellow student on school premises in November.
One of the girls was also charged with violent indecent assault of the 13-year-old victim.
The proceedings before Magistrate Edwina Grima were held behind closed doors to protect the identity of the minors.
In December, The Sunday Times reported that the parents of a Form 3 student filed a police report claiming that their daughter had been assaulted by two students in an empty classroom during break time. The girls allegedly defiled the victim using the leg of a chair.
The Education Ministry had confirmed that the school authorities were informed of a case of bullying, which, however, turned out to be a more serious case of alleged defilement.
The victim yesterday testified through video conferencing to avoid direct contact with the accused. Police officers and the victim's mother took the witness stand to testify.
The court was constituted as a Juvenile Court and proceedings were not held at the law courts in Victoria but at the NGO centre in Xewkija in an informal setting, as is normal practice in cases involving minors.
Police Inspector Josric Mifsud prosecuted
Lawyer Anton Refalo was defence counsel.
Lawyer Justyne Caruana appeared parte civile.
See also
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20091227/local/girls-13-to-be-charged-with-defiling-student