A man who allegedly raped a young Frenchwoman in Paceville on Wednesday was remanded in custody following his arraignment on Thursday.
Eyob Melake Ecobagaber, a 27-year old Eritrean national having no fixed address in Malta, was arrested after police were alerted by an anonymous phone call that a woman was in distress in the vicinity of the former Axis discotheque.
Policemen found the woman crying. The man, later identified by the victim as the alleged culprit, attempted to run off but was captured and arrested.
The woman told the police that she had bitten her aggressor and scratched him as she tried to ward off the attack.
She was injured in the assault and eventually taken to hospital for treatment.
Her alleged aggressor, bearing scratches on his face, was marched to court where he pleaded not guilty to having raped the woman, held her against her will and caused her slight injuries.
He was also charged with being a recidivist and with having committed the alleged crime during the operative period of a suspended sentence handed down just days ago.
No request for bail was made at this stage of the proceedings and duty magistrate Charmaine Galea remanded the arrested man in custody.
Senior Inspector Nikolai Sant prosecuted.
Lawyer Joseph Ellis was legal aid counsel.