A man accused of raping his 17-year-old ex-girlfriend was granted bail on Thursday, along with three other youths accused of attacking the girl's 16-year-old male friend. 

A fifth member of the alleged gang had previously admitted to charges of grievously injuring the 16-year-old when he was arraigned in July and sentenced to a one-year jail term suspended for three years. 

In July, the prosecution said the two minors had turned up at the police domestic violence unit on a Monday morning, claiming to have been assaulted at the Gianpula nightclub by a gang of Belgian youths the Saturday before.

The victims told the police they were then taken to a flat in Sliema where the 17-year-old said she was raped by her ex-boyfriend, 20-year-old Dany Masuekama Kabangu. 

In the meantime, in an ordeal that lasted from 5am to 1pm on that Sunday, the boy said he was beaten and assaulted by Kamangu Lema Lelo Arnaud, 18, and Muogo Mukengerwa N’Domba Amani, 20, and two other 17-year-old boys. 

All four have pleaded not guilty to the charges. 

Proceedings against them continued on Thursday, with Magistrate Caroline Farrugia Frendo upholding a fresh request for bail for all four of the accused. 

They were granted bail against a deposit of €15,000, a personal guarantee of €50,000 each as well as daily signing of the bail book and under a curfew between 9pm and 7am.

Two met up in hopes of rekindling relationship

The court previously heard how the girl and her Swiss friend were in Malta studying English, when she was contacted by her ex, whom she had met on the island. 

The two had met up in hopes of rekindling their relationship, but the girl broke things off when she learned that Masuekama Kabangu was staying in a flat with four of his friends and his new girlfriend.

On that Saturday evening, after a night at the nightclub, he convinced the girl to come back with him to Sliema, with the girl saying she was plied with vodka throughout the taxi ride to his flat. 

The next thing she remembered was waking up naked in her ex’s flat to find him raping her. 

She also realised that other people in the room were filming the alleged sexual assault. 

The girl’s Swiss friend also told police that he was beaten by the Belgians outside Gianpula, who forced him to get into the same taxi with them. He said one of the accused had taken his phone and tried to buy a €2,000 Louis Vuitton bag, giving his Brussels address for its delivery. 

Police apprehended the five youths at the airport just an hour before their flight was set to leave Malta, identifying them from photographs sent to them by the victim. 

AG lawyers Cynthia Tomasuolo and Joseph Camilleri Azarov are prosecuting together with Inspectors John Spiteri, Omar Zammit and Jonathan Cassar.

Lawyers Jose’ Herrera, Franco Debono, Stefano Filletti, Jason Azzopardi, Matthew Xuereb and Gianluca Cappitta are defence counsel.