Malta: Defence questions victim’s credibility as priests’ sexual abuse case appeal starts

The Malta Independent
14-1-2011

The lawyers of the two priests convicted of sexually abusing boys in their care are basing their appeal on the credibility of one of the victims, claiming that he also influenced the others to involve themselves.

Giannella de Marco and Joseph Giglio are representing Charles Pulis and Godwin Scerri, who were jailed for six years and five years respectively over multiple counts of sexual abuse of boys at St Joseph Home in Sta Venera, which is run by the Missionary Society of St Paul (MSSP). The two priests were subsequently defrocked.

The defence appealed each priest’s conviction and sentence, and the two former priests have not yet started to serve their sentence: They were granted bail and remain at the MSSP convent.

The Attorney General’s office, meanwhile, filed an appeal against the decision to acquit Mr Scerri of a rape charge on an apparent technicality. The charge he faced specified that the rape occurred in the MSSP summer home in Marfa, but the victim testified that it occurred at the Sta Venera home.

The appeals process started yesterday, although Dr Giglio could not attend.

Dr de Marco said that the defence wanted the court to hear new evidence, presenting two applications for witnesses to be heard. The first was for three doctors to testify in Mr Scerri’s case and a psychiatrist to testify in Mr Pulis’ case.

The second was for TV presenter Lou Bondi, who had been the victims’ spokesman for a number of years, to testify in both cases.

The lawyer explained that the defence’s case was based on the credibility of one of the victims, Lawrence Grech, who had been the first to forego his anonymity when the case broke out. She noted that Mr Bondi had written on posts on his blog in which he said that Mr Grech had lied to him five times.

Dr de Marco insisted that Mr Grech was a liar who liked to be seen, and that his actions were motivated by personal interest. She said that Mr Grech’s personal conduct showed that he had a penchant for biting the hand that feeds him, adding that he even tried to get money from the BBC.

As for the other victims who came forward, the lawyer insisted that Mr Grech had influenced them to get involved.

The victims’ lawyer, Patrick Valentino, said that Mr Bondi’s writings were simply his opinion and that they should not be used in court, particularly since Mr Grech couldn’t rebut what had been written.

He added that if Mr Bondi was allowed to testify, he would ask the court to allow the Archbishop to testify over the unconditional apology he had made to the victims over the case.

Mr Justice David Scicluna then said that the court’s decision had to be based on facts and not opinions, and that as a result, Mr Bondi could only be asked to confirm what he wrote in his blogs.

In a reaction to the hearing, Mr Bondi said that he had no problem confirming what he wrote under oath, but added that Mr Grech’s statements had no bearing on his views on whether the crimes the two men were convicted of took place.

“I never had and still do not have doubt that it did, as confirmed already by the court,” Mr Bondi said.

Dr de Marco also asked for the Attorney General’s appeal to be heard and decided first, a request which was accepted. As a result, the case continues on 27 January, when submissions on that appeal will be presented.