Plasterer charged with sexually harassing 16-year old girl in Valletta
Court hears girl was followed and allegedly assaulted in public lift
A 28-year-old plasterer was remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to sexually harassing a 16-year-old girl.
Bashar Ibrahim Obied, a Syrian national living in Qormi, was accused of committing non-consensual sexual acts on a minor.
He denied the charges.
Police inspector Dorianne Tabone explained that in November, the girl went to the Valletta Police Station together with her mother to report an incident.
The girl said she had been approached by an unidentified man in Valletta who made sexually explicit remarks to her.
He then allegedly followed her into a public lift where he started touching her indecently before grabbing her hand and placing it over his genitals.
Some days later, the man spotted the girl near her residence and approached her once again. This time round the girl was on a video call with her mother and the latter told him to leave her alone.
A police report was filed and the man was identified and arrested.
Bail was not requested at this stage since the minor has not yet testified.
The court upheld the defence’s request and solicited the prosecution to summon the alleged victim at the first sitting.
Magistrate Nadia Helena Vella presided.
AG lawyer Danika Vella prosecuted, while police inspectors Dorianne Tabone and Jeffrey Rizzo prosecuted.
Legal aid lawyer Yanika Bugeja assisted the accused.