Woman tells court she feared for her life as client allegedly raped her
Woman tells court she feared for her life as client allegedly raped her
By HOT MALTA
18 June 2024
Valletta – A 26-year-old Maltese woman broke down in court yesterday as she recounted how a man who had paid her for consensual sex turned violent, pinned her against the wall of a Sliema flat and raped her while threatening to “finish what we started” if she screamed.
Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech listened in silence as the woman, whose identity is protected by court order, described how the alleged attack last February left her convinced she would “not leave the room alive”.
The accused, a 41-year-old foreign national who cannot be named until arraignment, was arrested after the woman escaped barefoot and flagged down a passing police patrol on the Tigné seafront just after 3 a.m.
Prostitution itself is not criminalised in Malta, but brothel-keeping and third-party profiteering are. The legal grey zone means many sex workers operate alone, advertising online and renting short-lets in tourist-heavy towns like Sliema and St Julian’s. Support groups say this isolation makes them especially vulnerable to violence.
In her testimony, the woman said she had arranged the meeting through a local escort website, agreeing on €150 for “a standard hour”. She told the court she arrived at the seafront apartment at 1.30 a.m., chatted briefly and collected the money. “Everything felt normal,” she said. “Then he locked the door behind me and his tone changed.”
According to her statement, the client became aggressive when she refused to remove her underwear, insisting on “full service” for which he claimed he had paid extra. When she tried to leave, he allegedly grabbed her by the throat, forced her onto the bed and raped her. “I kept saying no. He told me: ‘You’re mine until I’m done’,” she sobbed.
After the assault, she said the man fell asleep. She fled with only her mobile phone, running down the emergency stairwell and into the street. CCTV footage shown in court captures her sprinting across Tigné Point, barefoot and wrapped in a bedsheet.
Police officers testified that she was shaking so violently they initially thought she had been hit by a car. A medical examination at Mater Dei Hospital documented bruising on her neck and inner thighs consistent with non-consensual intercourse.
The case has reignited debate over Malta’s patchwork approach to sex work. While the island markets itself as a progressive Mediterranean hub, activists say outdated laws push sex workers into the shadows. “When your work is stigmatised, reporting violence feels impossible,” said Maria* from the Malta Sex Workers’ Rights Initiative. “This woman showed extraordinary courage.”
Community reactions have been swift. A candlelight vigil is planned for Thursday at the Tigné monument under the banner “Solidarjetà: No Means No”. Flyers in Maltese and English urge passers-by to bring flowers and “stand with survivors”.
On social media, the hashtag #IvaGħalKuraġġ (“Yes to Courage”) began trending within hours, with hundreds sharing messages of support. “She could have stayed silent. Instead she spoke for all of us,” one local woman tweeted.
Tourism stakeholders are also watching closely. Sliema, once a quiet fishing village, is now lined with Airbnb lets and boutique hotels. Councillor Graziella Attard Bezzina warned that “isolated incidents can damage the entire destination brand”. She called for mandatory safety protocols in short-let apartments, including panic buttons and discreet liaison with police.
The accused, who denies all charges, is being held in preventive custody. A request for bail was refused after the prosecution argued he posed a flight risk. The magistrate ordered a ban on publication of names to protect the integrity of ongoing investigations.
Outside the courthouse, the woman’s mother clutched a rosary and told reporters: “My daughter did nothing wrong. She deserves justice, not judgement.”
The case continues next month. Whatever the verdict, the testimony has already forced Malta to confront uncomfortable truths about consent, stigma and safety in a society that prides itself on hospitality yet often forgets its own.
