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Judge Defies Bomb Threat to Hear Former Priests" Appeal

Times of Malta
June 15, 2012

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120615/local/judge-defies-bomb-threat-to-hear-abuse-priests-appeal.424434

Godwin Scerri, left and Carmelo Pulis.

A judge this morning defied an umpteenth bomb threat at the Law Courts as he continued to hear submissions on the appeal filed by two defrocked priests who were found guilty of sexually abusing teenage boys who lived in a residential home in Sta Venera in the 1980s and 1990s.

Godwin Scerri and Charles Pulis, both members of the Missionary Society of St Paul, were sentenced to five and six years in prison respectively for sexually abusing 11 young boys in their care.

Mr Pulis and Mr Scerri were defrocked in July and October last year following the independent Vatican investigation.

Presiding over an appeal sitting, Judge David Scicluna heard defence lawyers Giannella de Marco and Joe Giglio make their submissions on why the Appeals Court should overturn the decision by the Magistrates' Court and free their clients from the charges brought against them.

The submissions were made as two alleged victims, including Lawrence Grech, sat at the back of the courtroom just a mere metre behind the former priests.

Most of yesterday's sitting was taken up by Dr de Marco, who is defending Mr Pulis.

She explained that the first point of her client's appeal is that related to the charged being time-barred. She said these charges became time-barred after 10 years while the allegations made against her client took place even more than 15 years before he was charged.

Dr de Marco also made submissions on why the Magistrates' Court should not have increased the punishment by two degrees because of a continuous crime – when a crime is committed over a period of time.

She quoted several case law which state that there can be no continuous crime when the crime committed is one against the person and also does not apply when there is more than one alleged victim.

Both lawyers raised a legal point on the inadmissibility of the statements given to the police since these were taken before they were given the opportunity to consult a lawyer of their choice prior to their interrogation.

Dr de Marco had a go at alleged victim Mr Grech, the 'spokesman' for the whole group of alleged victims, saying he made the allegations for money. She questioned why Mr Grech told Mr Pulis to celebrate his wedding Mass if it were true that he had abused of him and had hurt him so much.

The appeal hearing continues next week when Dr Giglio is expected to make his submissions.

 

 

 

 

 




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