Man, 72, denied bail over sexual harassement of two women
He was also charged with holding the women against their will and causing them to fear violence
A 72-year-old man was denied bail after he was charged with subjecting two women to non-consensual acts of a sexual nature, after he allegedly touched their breasts, groped them and requested sexual favours from the pair.
John Camilleri from St Paul’s Bay, was arraigned before Magistrate Lara Lanfranco on Friday morning.
The man was accused of committing the non-consensual acts of a sexual nature, holding the women against their will, harassing them, requesting sexual favours from them, and subjecting them to acts of physical intimacy.
He was further charged with causing them to fear that violence would be used against them.
Times of Malta is informed that the man rents out a parking space to the women. He allegedly groped them and harassed them over Messenger, sending them indecent material.
The man denied the charges.
Legal aid lawyer Thomas Barbara Sant requested bail, arguing that his client is innocent until proven guilty. He insisted that it was up to the prosecution to prove that the fears they will cite exist.
Prosecutor Jurgen Dalli objected to the request.
“The charges are what they are, but we fear he would tamper with evidence if granted bail,” Dalli argued.
The man lives two minutes away from the alleged victims.
“He knows where they work, and they are his neighbours. There are other civilian witnesses whom he knows. The fear is real,” Dalli said, adding that the proceedings were still at an early stage and that the victims and the civilian witnesses have not yet testified.
“This is not about an incident,” police inspector Ryan Vella said, adding that the charges refer to acts committed over a number of years.
“If he wanted to tamper with evidence, he had ample time to do so,” Barbara Sant chimed back.
“The report was filed two days ago and the accused had no idea he was under investigation,” Dalli said.
The prosecution requested a ban on the names of the victims, as the defence requested a ban on the name of the accused.
The court denied the bail request, ordered a ban on the publication of the victims and denied the defence’s ban request, noting that the man’s name was “pretty common”.
A protection order was issued in favour of the victims.
Magistrate Lara Lanfranco presided over the court.
Lawyer Jurgen Dalli prosecuted on behalf of the Attorney General’s Office assisted by police inspectors Warren Galea and Ryan Vella.
Legal aid lawyer Thomas Barbara Sant assisted the accused.