Man acquitted of rape but found guilty of defiling girl, 15

A 25-year-old man from Dingli was this morning condemned to a two-year jail term suspended for four years after he was acquitted of rape but found guilty of defiling a 15-year-old girl in November 2008. The man was charged with participating in sexual acts with the girl and offending public morals. Magistrate Audrey Demicoli heard that the girl and the man had had a relationship for a number of months. The Magistrate said she found it difficult to believe the girl’s version because of their relationship, during which they had had sex in his car a number of times and they exchanges SMSs of  a sexual nature, which undermined the claim that she only accepted to have sex with the man because she was afraid he would not drive her home. In fact, on the day of the alleged he raped, the girl sent the man an SMS after the incident asking him to call her because she wanted to speak to him. Medical tests had also proved negative for rape.