Stepfather Cleared Of Sexually Abusing 15-Year-Old Stepdaughter Who Admitted To Lying
A man was acquitted of charges of sexually abusing his 15-year-old stepdaughter and her younger sister after court testimonies revealed that the eldest had fabricated the accusations out of anger for her stepfather who cut off her internet access as a disciplinary action.
Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit learned from a court expert that the teenage girl had a strained relationship with her biological father and, feeling rejected, frequently resorted to falsehoods to gain acceptance from her peers. In fact, the words she used when talking about her biological father were “all dads come and go”.
The court was informed that what prompted the 15-year-old to fabricate lies about her stepfather was his decision to disconnect her internet connection as a disciplinary measure.
Two psychiatrists appointed by the magistrate to speak with the sisters told the court that while they believed the girls had fabricated the story, they could not definitively rule out the possibility of abuse. Therefore, the magistrate required more evidence to decide the outcome of the case.
The girls’ mother took the stand to reveal that she and the accused had been married for nine years, during which he had been nothing but supportive to her and her daughter from her previous marriage.
Additionally, the mother mentioned that she had children with the accused and that her eldest daughter had a reputation for dishonesty and had faced disciplinary issues in the past.
Furthermore, the eldest daughter’s school friends claimed that she had informed them of abuse and falsely accused her stepfather of involvement in drug dealing.
Forensic psychologist Chantal Avellino informed the court that the girl was infuriated by her stepfather’s decision to disconnect her internet and subsequently convinced her younger sister to fabricate a story about him.
“It appears that the girl did not anticipate this escalation, and her goal was to ensure that he never disciplined her again,” Avellino remarked, adding that the girl said her stepfather “filled the void” and “cared” for them.
She then spoke about the shift in their relationship when a younger sibling was born, which according to Avellino, might have caused her stepfather to ‘withdraw a little’, potentially making the stepdaughter feel rejected.
It was thus evident to the court that the girl exhibited psycho-emotional challenges, characterised by impulsivity, emotional volatility, and mood swings, which often led to an inability to consider the consequences of her actions. Consequently, she struggled with feelings of social rejection and resorted to fabricating stories and exaggerating details in an attempt to gain acceptance and fit in socially.
Prosecuting Police Inspector Joseph Zammit testified that the police intervened following a report by the government support agency Appoġġ. The initial claim made by the girl and her sister was that they were being defiled by their stepfather. However, during their testimony via video conference, the girls confessed that they had fabricated the allegations.
The man who had been charged with the sexual abuse and defilement of his stepdaughters on and before 2022 was cleared of all charges.
Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri have appeared for the defendant.
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