A court-appointed psychiatrist has assessed Nathalie Williams and pronounced her as ‘fit to testify’ in the proceedings against her former husband who allegedly held her captive in an underground chamber beneath Fort Ricasoli last October.
Roddy Williams, the 37-year old Seychelles-born man, has been held behind bars under preventive arrest ever since, with a primary ground for the denial of bail being the fact that the victim of the alleged ordeal was still to testify.
In the course of the compilation of evidence by magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit, the prosecution had first presented a medical certificate by general practitioner Stephen Spiteri declaring that the woman was not fit to take the witness stand.
When this certificate was declared insufficient by the court, another certificate by David Cassar, a psychiatrist chosen by the victim, was produced in court, with the specialist himself later confirming under oath that the patient was ‘currently unfit to testify’.
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Following this stage of the ongoing court saga, the defence team had requested the Criminal Court to appoint one or more independent psychiatrists to determine whether Ms Williams was truly unable to testify. A fresh request for bail had also been filed.
The court, presided over by Mr Justice Antonio Mizzi, on Wednesday heard the court-appointed expert, Ethel Felice, declare that after being prescribed medication on January 9, Ms Williams had recovered sufficiently so as to be pronounced as ‘fit to testify’ on February 14, when examined by the psychiatrist.
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This welcome news, however, prompted defence lawyer Franco Debono to question why the victim had only received medication on January 9, almost three months after her ordeal.
“Meanwhile we have a human being here who is still under arrest,” Dr Debono stressed, gesturing towards his client seated in the dock.
The request for bail was currently to remain in abeyance, whilst the case is to continue with the victim’s testimony via video conference next week.
The woman’s pending testimony in court has been strongly disputed during the past sittings, with the accused’s defence team arguing that the woman is unwilling rather than unable to testify in her former husband’s case.
However, the prosecution has rebutted that the issue of bail hinged not merely upon the fact that the victim, the star witness, was still to testify but also because the accused had no firm ties in Malta and there existed no treaty agreement with the Seychelles.
Roddy Williams currently stands charged with having placed the life of his wife in manifest jeopardy, violently engaging in sexual acts with the woman, holding her against her will, harassing her and causing her to fear violence. Additional charges related to slight bodily harm upon his wife’s son, as well as with threats against police officers and with breaching public order and peace.
Inspectors Josric Mifsud and Paula Ciantar are prosecuting. Lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri and Yanika Vidal are defence counsel. Lawyers Ludvic Caruana and Janice Borg are appearing parte civile.