Man Who Allegedly Trapped And Repeatedly Raped Ex-Wife In Kalkara Cave For Three Days Released On Bail
The Kalkara cave in which Roddy Williams trapped his estranged wife for three days. Photo: TVM
The courts have granted bail to a man who allegedly trapped his estranged Maltese wife in an underground cave near Fort Rinella for three days without food or water last October.
Roddy Williams, a 37-year-old from the Seychelles, was released against a deposit of €30,000 and a personal guarantee of €50,000, and on condition that he remains in Malta and signs the bail book at the Valletta police station everyday.
Magistrate Antonio Vella’s decision comes less than two weeks after Roddy’s ex-wife Nathalie Williams testified via video conference about how Roddy had called her up threatening to kill her father and children if she didn’t meet him. Nathalie and Roddy met in Xgħajra and, according to Nathalie’s testimony, the two got into a heated argument and Roddy pushed her into the sea and shoved her towards a cave below Fort Rinella. Nathalie said she was scared to run away as Roddy had a history of domestic violence.
The underground Kalkara cave. Photo: The Malta Independent
Roddy led her through a narrow tunnel and into a small, confined space that was pitch black. Natalie started screaming but Roddy told her he’s in love with her and demanded sex – a demand Nathalie initially rejected but soon gave into, fearing he would get violent. Roddy then stole money from Nathalie’s purse, returned with a candle, raped her again, and left again – this time with her mobile and cigarette lighter and the candle. This pattern repeated itself over the three-day period, with Roddy raping her four times throughout the ordeal.
Roddy Williams was arrested after Nathalie’s son bumped into him, restrained him, and called the police. When the police arrived, Roddy surrendered immediately and took them to the cave where he had been keeping his estranged wife. Nathalie originally told police her husband had kidnapped her but later changed her testimony completely and said she had accompanied him to the underground cell willingly. In court last week, she blamed this mix-up on her state of confusion at the time.
Shadow health minister and GP Stephen Spiteri and psychiatrist David Cassar had originally both declared Nathalie Williams unfit to testify, but – following a request by defence lawyer Franco Debono – the court appointed its own psychiatrist, who ruled that she could testify via video conference.
READ NEXT: Prisoner Christopher Bartolo Recounts Emotional Moment He Found Out He Was Being Released
