A 20-year-old Syrian man has been charged with raping a woman in Valletta, with the woman escaping her alleged aggressor by jumping into the sea.

Construction worker Qasem Saleh was charged in court before Magistrate Marse-Ann Farrugia on Wednesday in connection with the incident, which police said happened in the early hours of Tuesday morning near the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta.

The court heard that the police received a report about an alleged rape at 2:45am in Valletta, and that it was the alleged victim who called the emergency line saying that she had just been physically and sexually assaulted.

Saleh and the victim had been dating at the time.

The prosecution said that that police upon arrival at the scene found the accused on the shoreline and the woman in the sea.

The prosecution said that the accused was waiting for the women to come back ashore.

Saleh’s lawyer Mario Mifsud did not seek bail, but asked for his client to be held at the juvenile section, a request which was accepted.

Saleh, who lives in Fgura, was remanded in custody and a protection order was issued in favour of the woman which was to remain in place until the final judgement.

Inspectors John Spiteri and Kevin Pulis led the prosecution.  Sean Azzopardi appeared for the Attorney General's office.