A man found guilty of raping an Italian woman in Pembroke three years ago has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Seydon Bandango, from Burkina Faso, was given the sentence by a Maltese court earlier today. Another man who was believed to be his accomplice, Emmanuel Ngumezi from Nigeria, was found not guilty in the same case, but given five years in prison for a separate charge of abduction.

The jury reached its verdict after six hours deliberating following seven days of listening to witness testimony behind closed doors.

The case goes back to 2016, when the two men are believed to have grabbed an Italian woman from St George’s Bay, forced her into their car, and raped her in Pembroke.

Police had arrived at the scene of the crime and found one of the men literally naked from the waist down, with his pants off, while the Italian woman was crying for help and assistance. The other man ran away as soon as the police arrived on the scene, but was caught soon after.

The jury was heard in front of Judge Giovanni Grixti.

Cover photo inset: TVM

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