After a foreign woman reported her husband for rape, investigations conducted in Malta uncovered an 18-minute video that revealed she was actually physically abusing him.

TVM reported that 36-year-old woman, who works with the Foundation of Educational Services but whose name and nationality cannot be reported by court order, has been charged with domestic violence, assaulting her husband and subsequently causing him slight injuries. She is pleading not guilty. 

Her alleged abuse came to light after investigations, that were sparked by her own claim of rape, found a camera in her home which had video footage of the man being subject to domestic violence, with his wife attacking him with her hands, a baton, a frying pan and a kettle of hot water.

According to the prosecution, the couple’s children, aged seven and 14, witnessed the abuse and spoke with the police about it.

The prosecution explained how false reports of rape and domestic violence severely impact the very real and very damaging cases suffered by other women. In general, it risks setting the progress of gender-equality and gender-based-violence awareness back by years.

On the other hand, the defence argued that the woman had been putting up with her husband for a long time and that the camera investigators found in their house was just an illegal means to control her.

Defence lawyers Martha Mifsud and Christian Frendo asked for bail, pointing out that the accused had just been operated on and had no other living arrangements yet can still afford to pay rent.

She was granted bail on a €1,000 deposit and a €10,000 personal guarantee, subject to several conditions, including that she must sign a bail book three times a week and obey a 10pm-7am curfew.

Her husband said that he doesn’t have €1,000 on him but that he will try to bring the money. 

The accused was also issued with a restraining order against her husband and children, ordered not to communicate with them through any means, and she will initially stay at a hotel before notifying the police of her new place of residence. 

Magistrate Charmaine Galea described the case she is presiding over as “surreal”.