Man involved in forced abortion case gives statement to police
One of the four men allegedly involved in an attack during which a forced abortion was conducted on a woman has spoken to local police, a spokesperson for the police force has confirmed to The Malta Independent.
“A statement has been taken under oath in front of a court expert as part of the magisterial inquiry,” the spokesperson said.
The woman had recounted her harrowing experience to The Malta Independent on Sunday, which not only resulted in her losing her child, but also saw her being left for dead after having suffered multiple stab wounds to her forearm and thigh.
The attack, which took place on Sunday, 2 April, was carried out by four men, including the woman’s former boyfriend, Ashraf Ammar Marghami, a man named Imad, and the man who turned himself in, Tarek.
Her boyfriend, Mr Marghami, kicked her in the stomach violently while the makeshift doctor conducted the operation.
The woman, who was three months pregnant at the time, had spent the day shopping with her former partner for maternity clothes.
The police had previously confirmed that two of the attackers had left the country and remain on the run.
It is also believed that Ashraf Ammar Marghami and the makeshift doctor are still on the run but have gone their separate ways. One of the men is believed to be in Stockholm, Sweden, while the other is believed to be in Germany.
Home Affairs and Internal Security Minister Carmelo Abela had also told The Malta Independent on Sunday that he would ask Police Commissioner Lawrence Cutajar for feedback on how the case regarding the Moroccan woman who was the victim of a forced abortion is progressing.
The Minister went on to say: “If the police need political intervention by me speaking to my Swedish counterpart for assistance, I am willing to do so,’ but said that he is yet to do so.
Mr Maghrami has since spoken to The Observatory, a Libyan newspaper, where he confirmed that he committed the attack. However, he maintains that it was not a premeditated attack as implied by the woman, but rather an instinctive violent reaction since pregnancy out of wedlock went against his religious beliefs.
He also said that, contrary to what is being claimed by the woman, his friends did not take part in the attack.
Anyone with any information on the exact whereabouts of the remaining men, as shown in the photographs, is requested to contact the relevant authorities in Malta, Sweden or Germany. They can also contact this newspaper in complete confidentiality and the information will be passed to the relevant authorities.