Archpriest's Punch: Victim Withdraws Criminal Complaint Following Priests" Request; Sets Condition

By Duncan Barry
Malta Independent
March 16, 2015

http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2015-03-16/local-news/Archpriest-s-punch-victim-withdraws-criminal-complaint-priests-do-likewise-6736132298

A woman who had filed a criminal complaint against an archpriest for allegedly injuring her slightly and against a vice-archpriest who allegedly insulted her, today withdrew her criminal complaints against the two on the condition that the priests in question stay away from her. This took place after the priests asked for the case to be withdrawn.

The archpriest had been accused of slightly injuring the woman after he allegedly punched her in church. The archpriest had also been charged with breaching the peace. The incident was reported by The Malta Independent.

The vice-archpriest of the same community, who witnessed the incident, had also been charged with insulting the woman with the utterance: "itilqu lill-Arcipriet, m'hawnx qassis li ma tisfrattahx u ma tistax tara qassis..." (Leave the archpriest alone, you cannot set eyes on a single priest without leading him astray).

The woman, in turn, had been charged with harassing the archpriest himself.

Magistrate Aaron Farrugia presided over the case.