A man is standing trial for allegedly repeatedly raping and beating his wife over six years, locking her and their two children inside the home at times with no food, and threatening to kill her if she ever spoke up.

The man, a 34-year-old Nigerian, is also charged with forcing his wife to prostitute herself when she was nine months pregnant.

He is pleading not guilty.

The trial is being heard behind closed doors before Judge Consuelo Scerri Herrera.

The man is accused of causing his wife to fear for her life and the life of her children, psychological abuse, harassment, illegal arrest and slightly injuring his wife. He is also charged with forcing his wife to prostitute herself and living off the earnings of prostitution.

According to prosecutors, the woman first filed a domestic violence report on June 13, 2020, telling officers how she met the accused at the end of 2013 and he asked her to marry him for documents, after which she would be free and they could live separately. After some time, he lost his job and their relationship got strained. 

In February 2014 she found out she was pregnant and such news caused further stress between the couple. She started to avoid the accused in bed.

Forced into prostitution when nine months pregnant

Then in September 2014, when she was already nine months pregnant, the accused wanted to have sex with her and she refused. The accused did not accept and told her that she could not leave him without sex because “he was not a castrated dog”. He then raped her.

According to the prosecution, sometime in 2014 when she was still pregnant, a friend of the accused suggested that he prostitute his wife and he agreed.  She was made to have sex with a 70-year-old man for €40.

The accused is alleged to have then forced her to have sex whenever he felt like and beat her when she refused. She told officers that he threatened to shove her off a balcony if she ever tried to report him. 

Locked at home

The prosecution also claimed that the accused did not allow her to work or have a social life. He would lock her and the children inside the house when he went out. She had to beg him for money to buy food or medicine.

This went on for six years.

Then in June 2020, he woke her up in the middle of the night to have sex. She refused. He dragged her to the bathroom and beat her. He also threatened to beat his son, who asked him to stop.

That was the day she went to the police.

Lawyer Simon Micallef Stafrace is legal aid for the accused. Attorney General lawyers Darlene Grima and Kaylie Bonett are prosecuting.