Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
A 45-year-old man from Italy, Nicola Cristiano, has been convicted of attempting to rape a Scottish woman during an Easyjet flight from Naples to Edinburgh on May 13. The incident occurred when Cristiano moved to sit next to the woman, who is originally from Aberdeenshire and born in 1993. During the nighttime journey, he offered her wine before trying to force her hand and head toward his exposed crotch.
The court session at the High Court in Edinburgh included testimonies from a fellow passenger and a member of the cabin crew. Forensic analysis revealed traces of Cristiano’s semen on the victim’s cheek. Although Cristiano claimed the woman initially consented and later changed her mind, the jury ultimately found him guilty by a non-unanimous verdict.
Witnesses supported the prosecution’s assertion that the assault occurred without the woman’s consent. According to the court, Cristiano signaled the woman to accompany him to the aircraft toilet. She agreed to follow but, upon entering the cubicle, notified the cabin crew about the assault, resulting in staff preventing Cristiano from leaving the bathroom. A cabin crew member described the victim as visibly distressed when she reported the incident. Cristiano admitted to having a sexual encounter with the woman, stating, “She provoked me. She excited me.”
Judge Alison Stirling described the trial as “a difficult and anxious case” and noted that the jury’s verdict was among the first to be returned after the abolition of the not proven verdict in Scotland’s legal system. Addressing the jury, she remarked, “I think you are participating in making history because today is the first day we are getting verdicts under our new system.” Cristiano was remanded in custody, and preparations for background reports are underway ahead of his sentencing scheduled for February 6 in Edinburgh
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.