Man jailed seven years for defiling girl, 7, as she played hide and seek

A man who defiled a seven-year-old girl while she played hide and seek in a playground in Fgura has been jailed for seven years.

Louis Calleja was convicted on Monday of having lured the girl and threatened her before indecently exposing himself.

He was also convicted of offending public morals and decency, relapsing and breaching a probation order. He was acquitted of illegal possession of a knife and a firearm.

Police inspector Antonello Magri testified during the proceedings that a woman had reported the incident at Paola Police Station on October 27, 2023.

She alleged that while her five-year-old son and seven-year-old daughter were playing at the playground in Pjazza Redent Gauci in Fgura, a man carrying a yellow bag approached the girl and made sexual advances.

The girl told her mother that the man pulled out his penis.

A police investigation was launched, and Magri, together with Inspector Wayne Buhagiar, investigated the case and gathered CCTV footage from the area.

From the footage, they recognised Calleja, who had been convicted of similar offences on May 4, 2023.

After his arrest, Calleja told the police that he saw the girl at the playground and tied her shoelaces, but he denied the allegations in his regard.

In court, it emerged that the weapons the man allegedly carried could not be seen in the footage and they were not found at Calleja’s house during a police search.

The girl testified that she was playing hide and seek with her brother and another boy. While she hid, a man who had followed her suggested that she hide in a particular place. He then dropped his pants and asked her to touch his penis.

The girl ran off and told her mother about the incident.

She recalled that Calleja had been wearing a pair of black trousers and had a yellow bag.

She initially said he was wearing a black t-shirt, but from the CCTV footage it emerged he was wearing a blue one. She recognised the man from still images taken from the footage.

She also said that he carried a pink knife in the bag and had a firearm in his pocket, which she saw when he pulled down his pants. She also said that the man offered to tie her laces before exposing himself.

Young girl was consistent in her version of events

The court observed that the case rested on the credibility of the girl, as corroborated by the circumstantial evidence in the case.

While the girl was of a very young age, the court observed that she was very intelligent and fully aware of the importance of telling the truth.

The court also observed that the victim was consistent both in her testimony during the inquiry and before the court.

While the court acknowledged that there were serious doubts on whether the accused was carrying weapons, everything else had been corroborated.

Data extracted from the accused's phone showed that he searched for indecent and child sexual abuse featuring adolescent girls. He did not get himself treated for his addiction.

While the accused had said that he only wanted to sit on a bench, the court held that this was a lie and the girl’s version was credible.

The court therefore found the accused guilty of defiling the girl and offending public morals and decency, as well as recidivism and breaching a probation order.

It acquitted him of the other charges due to lack of evidence and sentenced him to seven years' imprisonment.

It also imposed a five-year treatment order and ordered that the three-year period of the probation order start running afresh.

A three-year restraining order was issued in favour of the victim.

The court also ordered that the man must be permanently prevented from exercising professional activities involving direct or regular contact with children and that his name be added to the sex offender register.

He was also ordered to pay €8,557.03 in court expenses.

Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit presided over the case.

AG lawyers Jurgen Dalli and Cynthia Tomasuolo prosecuted, assisted by police inspectors Antonello Magri and Wayne Buhagiar. 

Lawyers Joe and Michaela Giglio assisted the accused, while lawyers Herman Mula and Silvan Pulis assisted the victim.