Man charged with raping women in Valletta and Paceville
25-year-old man denies charges but is denied bail
A 25-year-old man has been charged with two separate instances of rape that allegedly took place last year.
Jorge Marcelo Villalobos Abanto is accused of raping one woman at a restaurant in Valletta on August 31 and another in Paceville on October 22.
In court, a police inspector explained that a rape report had been lodged by the second victim the evening of the crime.
Abanto was arrested three months later on January 29. His statement was taken by police in the presence of a lawyer and he was released on bail as police continued investigating the matter.
He was arrested on Friday at 11am and arraigned in court the same day.
Abanto’s lawyer filed a request for bail. The prosecution objected because of the gravity of the charges and the fact that proceedings were still at an early stage.
However, prosecutors also acknowledged that the accused cooperated with police throughout and the victims, both foreign nationals, have since left Malta.
They asked that, if bail is granted, the conditions should be stringent and reflect the gravity of the charges. They also insisted on a protection order.
His lawyer emphasised in court that his client is to be presumed innocent during the proceedings. Moreover, as the prosecutors said, the victims are not in Malta and so there is no risk of evidence tampering.
The court denied bail because the case is still at an early stage of the proceedings and the offences are of a serious nature.
Lawyer Mirayah Borg appeared on behalf of the Attorney General’s Office.
Inspectors Ryan Vella, Wayne Buhagiar and James Turner appeared on behalf of the Police Commissioner.