The Ministry for Home Affairs yesterday confirmed that the Malta Police Vice Squad informed the Hungarian embassy in Rome that one of its citizens had been raped in Malta by a Libyan man.

Hungarian Foreign Economic Relations Minister, Péter Szijjártó on Tuesday claimed that Hungary “has not received any official information from Malta on a Hungarian citizen who was raped by a 26-year-old Libyan man from Tripoli.” The rape took place on 6 February in Triq il-Wilga in Paceville on Saturday 6 February. The woman was found bruised and bloodied lying on the steps of an apartment block at around 4am and was subsequently taken to Mater Dei hospital. She identified the accused as one of her alleged aggressors before he was arrested by the police. The court ordered that an expert analyses he woman’s sobriety at the time of the alleged offence.

Libyan national Ezzedin Salem Elaoud was kept in preventive custody after entering a not guilty plea in court. He was charged with raping and assaulting the victim. The Home Affairs Ministry confirmed that the Hungarian government had acknowledged the information.

The case reportedly created tensions between the Hungarian and Maltese governments, according to Hungarian media (click here). On Monday 8 February, during a press conference held by the Hungarian government, it was said that no official information was given to them by the Maltese. Malta was called upon to investigate the incident and provide information on it.