A 75-year-old pensioner who allegedly sexually harassed a Spanish tourist in the bathroom of the Labour Party club in Floriana was granted bail upon his arraignment on Friday. 

Roger Galea, from Rabat, was at the club premises on Thursday evening when the young woman stepped up to the bar counter to order two coffees for herself and her boyfriend, who was seated outside. 

“Hello, pretty girl! How are you?”the elderly man allegedly greeted the customer while she placed her order and asked for directions to the toilets.

Going down to basement level where the bathroom was located, she emerged minutes later to find the man at the door, blocking her way out.

As he allegedly grabbed hold of her left hand, the woman panicked and told him to let her go, recounted the woman who testified on Friday during the man’s arraignment.

“Leave me, leave me,” she cried, trying to free herself from his hold even in view of the current COVID-19 situation.

But the man attempted to kiss her and finally managed to kiss her hand, the tearful woman explained in court through the assistance of a Spanish-speaking interpreter.

She somehow managed to squeeze her way past her harasser, through the narrow doorway and headed upstairs.

Her boyfriend immediately sensed that something was wrong the minute he saw her face. 

She recounted her ordeal, bursting into tears, and although at first somewhat hesitant, the couple explained the incident to the bar man who suggested calling in the police.

“We do not wish others to go through the same experience,” said both the alleged victim and her Spanish boyfriend who also testified during Friday’s hearing before travelling back home on Saturday.

A report was filed at the Valletta police station and Galea was arrested.

On Friday, he pleaded not guilty to subjecting the woman to acts having a sexual connotation.

Asked to identify the accused, the woman told the court, presided over by magistrate Elaine Mercieca Rizzo, that she did not wish to look at the man but confirmed that he was the same person at the club on Thursday.

“It’s the same man wearing the same red t-shirt he was wearing on Thursday,” said the woman as she shielded her face behind a trembling hand to avoid eye contact with the elderly man.

Under cross examination by legal aid counsel Martha Mifsud, the woman said that her visit to the toilets had lasted merely minutes. 

Her boyfriend, though not having witnessed the incident, had confronted the suspect, asking why he had done what he did to his girlfriend.

“But I neither speak Maltese nor English,” said the man, also assisted by the interpreter when testifying. 

After hearing the couple’s testimonies, the court upheld a request for bail even in view of the fact that the prosecution did not object as long as there were strict court conditions and an order to steer clear of Floriana. 

The defence lawyer also pointed out the man’s age and the fact that her client’s alleged victim had now testified.

Bail was granted against a deposit of €2,500, a personal guarantee of €5,000, an order to sign the bail book three times weekly, abide by a curfew between 8pm and 7am and not communicate in any manner with prosecution witnesses.

The court also made it very clear that Galea was not to step in Floriana. 

The case continues.

Inspector Gabriel Micallef prosecuted.