Tuesday, 3rd November 2009 - 11:23CET
Updated: Rape victim's mother forgives accused for 'mistakes'
Trial suspended
The mother of a girl who was allegedly raped by her uncle told a court today that she had forgiven her brother for mistakes he had made, and said the whole case had destroyed her family.
Giving evidence about the case, which allegedly happened 10 years ago when her daughter was seven years old and the uncle was 17, the woman admitted that she was the one who had urged her daughter to withdraw her allegations, because the case was destroying the family.
The daughter had spoken out when she was 13 and had insisted with her mother that she was telling the truth, and unless her mother helped her, she would seek help at the Appogg agency.
The mother said she was completely unaware of what had been happening. She had noticed a few drops of blood on her daughter's underwear but a doctor had told her that it could be that the child was developing early.
The mother's parents had taken the matter very badly, the mother said, but her father (who is also the father of the accused) told her to file a police report and to speak to a lawyer.
Family tensions continued to grow, and the woman said she no longer went to her parents' house because the accused lived there. Now all ties had been broken.
The case continues.
The trial by jury started yesterday and is being presided by Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono.
Prosecutors yesterday told the court that the child used to be taken to the roof of her grandparents' house, where she was raped and threatened. She was also forced to have oral sex in a car in Hal Far.
Names have not been published by court order to protect the identity of the victim.
TRIAL SUSPENDED
Meanwhile, later this morning the trial was suspended after defence counsel Joe Mifsud said he wanted to appeal a decision taken by Mr Justice Galea Debono, who stopped him from asking a particular question. The judge decided to stop the question after hearing objections by the prosecution.
Names have not been published by court order to protect the identity of the victim.
See also
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20091103/local/raped-niece-7-four-times
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Comments
Despite what modern catholic indoctrinators will have us believe, certain actions ARE unforgivable as the bible clearly implies.
This unfortunate child was allegedly repeatedly abused by her uncle but she most probably felt abused and betrayed by her own mother too when the latter tried to convince her to shut up.
This mother ought to beg her daughter for forgiveness – if she has not already done so - and in future support her as much as possible, even if it means falling out with the rest of the family. A family that bullies one into submissively shutting up rather than fighting for compensation as retribution for abuse is not a family worth preserving. Neither is a family who uses emotional blackmail (the usual Maltese “tinkwetanix ghax ma niflahx ghal inkwiet u se jtini attakk ta’ qalb/titlghali l-pressjoni / se jkolli nzid id-doza tal-kalmanti / se tghaddini puplusija”) to manipulate relatives into doing whatever the manipulator wants.
In this case, the mother can forgive all she likes, but she has NO RIGHT WHATSOEVER to ruin her daughter's life for the sake of some 'family' ideal she wants to keep together. What goes through a 13 year old's mind when she plucks up the courage to tell her parents that she's been raped, and instead of finding support is 'urged' to withdraw her allegations? It is tantamount to telling the victim that they are wrong, that they are liars, that their truth is not worth anything.
I am not condeeming the victims mother but like you stated "I would find it difficult to forgive"
I stated "I as a mother would never be able to forgiven myself let alone the the alleged monster. '
At what point did I condeem the mother??? I wrote my opinion as like yourself so dont go all high and mighty like you opinion is the only one that counts!
There are so many wrong things in the intricacies of this case that, really, I cannot understand how anyone could contemplate justifying any of the actors in this shameful tragedy.
What irks me is how very often these cases end up caught in legal caveats where justice is reduced to a mockery gilded in technicalities.
When one examines the state of our nation, we should not be surprised if we have rampant cases of political quagmires, unchecked conflicts of interest, incredible overspending and indebtedness and other visible malpractices when we, at the very roots of society, within the family nucleus, we have cases of incest, abuse and violence which I feel more often than not do not come to light....
To eradicate this rot, we do not just have to enforce 'just' laws but we must start with each of us looking within our conscience and admitting our own failings and acting upon them.
Religions that preach forgiveness at all costs AND persist in daily indoctrinating in favour of forgiveness when it is much more appropriate to promote a zero tolerance attitude against all forms of crime/evil/abuse/irresponsibility have a lot to answer for. So have courts of law that allow jurors to be influenced by declarations of forgiveness.
If anything preachers should preach that a parent’s first duty is first and foremost to the child he/she chose to beget and not to his/her parents and siblings. One can never be held responsible for the existence of one’s own parents/ siblings because nobody can chose which family he/she is related too but everybody is directly responsible for offspring they chose to beget. Even God himself does not force parenthood upon anybody.
Civil society should promote total responsible parenthood. Unfortunately far too many people simply beget children for their own selfish reasons – whether it is to flaunt fertility, milk the social state and legal systems or to have someone to work for you and take care of you when you grow old.
Please remember that when one forgives, his heart is partially healed.
As for the doctor, Mr Kevin Zammit, as a woman myself I ensure you that early menstruation is possible and happens a lot. Also, if the woman had no idea about the raping of her daughter, how could an MD go into such conclusions or possible conclusions? The mother must have said that she notices there and then some bloodstains. This is a doctor not psychiatric she went to
@ tborg
How right Jesus was when he said "the one without sin throw the first stone"
yes, let's close the courts and disband the police force. how dare they judge us and arrest us?! don't they know that it could have been them commiting whatever crime?!
As you said, let's grow up.
This says a lot about the mentality of many Maltese people where "families need to remain united at all cost". That's the nonsense that the local Church had fed us for ages. It all boils down to saving our face!
All parents protect their children, even in the animal kingdom.
The death penalty should be applied in such cases.
Which mother could forgive a man who rapes her own daughter?????
Dont bring relgion into this ...... Nobody cares that he wa a 17yr old minor at the time . He is accused of a very very serious , sick and twisted crime and if found guilty should be locked up for life and NEVER forgiven .
People like that will never change and will remain a constant danger to children for all their lives . The court and the prosecution have a responsibility to keep the public safe from sick perverted predators like these and the only way the public is safe from them is by locking them up .
If found guilty his identity should also be revealed .
A crime was committed, and as such, should be punished, period. Whether the victim, (minor or not), victim's mother or whoever forgives, it should be totally irrelevant at law. A crime is a crime irrespective of pardons granted.
"Calling Christianity insane for teaching forgiveness is an outstanding comment!!! If everyone forgave we would not have any wars."
MAKE LOVE NOT WAR!!!! Cloud cuckoo land is near..!
Li tikkastiga m'ghandiex tkun vendetta imma biex issir gustizzja, u biex is-socjeta tigi protetta
It is her prerogative whether to forgive or not, and not yours. Forgiving does not lessen anything in the eyes of the court. Probably in her shoes I would find it difficult to forgive, but in is admirable and not somethng to condemn!!!
@Joe Fenech
Calling Christianity insane for teaching forgiveness is an outstanding comment!!! If everyone forgave we would not have any wars.
I can understand that their family will never be the same again, but what about the daughters future isn't she the victim?? I
THE INSANITY OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION !!!
This is like the recent attempted murder case - the lady was severely wounded but then forgave her boyfriend who attacked her and her family!
I hope that the court is very harsh on the culprit if he is found guilty. Sex crimes are taken very lightly in this country!