Man not guilty of exposing himself in front of Castille during PL election victory celebrations

A court today acquitted a man from charges of attempted indecent assault after it found that the prosecution had failed to prove its accusations beyond reasonable doubt and noted contradictions in the testimony given by one of the main witnesses.

Ibrahim Nour had also been charged with offending public morals after he allegedly exposed himself during the Labour Party’s election celebrations in 2013.

The first case allegedly took place at around 8pm on 10 March 2013, near the Floriana bus terminus.

The second alleged case took place a day later, as a crowd was waiting for the new Prime Minister to arrive at the Auberge de Castille.

The alleged victim in the first case, Juliet Cassar, was never summoned to testify.

With regard to the 11 March claims, Anne Marie Bonnici said the accused was standing next to her and his manhood was exposed. She said the man was masturbating. A few moments earlier she had felt something “move up and down her back.”

During the cross examination she mentioned that the man’s top was “propped up.” The court took this to mean that the accused was touching himself under his shirt and that he was not actually exposed.

The woman’s mother, who was standing close to her daughter, had seen nothing but had heard her yelling ‘mahmug’ twice.

Inspector Godwin Sammut said the accused had initially said he might have done the act while he was drunk. But the court said it could not take this as admissible proof because there had been no mention that the man was intoxicated.

Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona said the accused did not have to prove anything but, on the other hand, the prosecution had a duty to prove the accusations beyond reasonable doubt and had failed. The main witness had also contradicted herself.

For these reasons Mr Nour was acquitted.