A Mater Dei Hospital male nurse is expected to be charged with violent indecent assault following allegations made by an Iranian woman that she suffered physical abuse in an ambulance on her way to hospital, the Times of Malta has learnt.

Sources close to the investigation said the woman, a 20-year-old student, reported the alleged abuse to the police officers stationed at the Accident and Emergency Department on Sunday afternoon.

The woman had been referred to hospital after having been examined by a general practitioner who was called to her residence. He decided she had better go to hospital for tests.

An ambulance was called and picked up the woman from her Swieqi residence on Sunday afternoon.

The patient was strapped in for the voyage, as is the policy, but contrary to standard practice, the nurse was not accompanied by the other ambulance employee, known as the porter, who instead sat at the front.

The sources said that after, she spent “considerable time” on a stretcher at the emergency department, the woman tried to escape from hospital. On her way out found two police officers and claimed that she had been physically abused on the ambulance.

The woman left hospital and refused to remain there for the tests ordered by her doctor

Sources said the woman left hospital and refused to remain there for the tests ordered by her doctor.

She was questioned by police investigators for a second time yesterday, a day after the allegations were made. The purpose was to see whether she would change her version or remained consistent with her original claims.

Her versions tallied and sources said the decision was taken to proceed with criminal proceedings against the nurse.

Following the allegations, the Mater Dei Hospital management launched an internal inquiry into the matter. This is separate from the police investigation and the outcome is not known.