Seychellois arrested on suspicion of having detained his wife |02 November 2017

Roddy Williams, who is from Seychelles, has been arrested on suspicion of having detained his wife Nathalie Williams and dumping her into an underground hole in Kalkara and left for dead.

According to the Malta Independent, Nathalie Williams, 46, was reported missing on Friday and was found late on Monday evening. The woman was found in an underground space near Fort Ricasoli and Fort Rinella in Malta.

Speaking to the Malta Independent, Nathalie’s father, Charles Higgans, revealed that the couple had a history of domestic violence. The police were aware of this because Nathalie had filed numerous reports over the years. Some years back, in fact, Roddy Williams was convicted of having caused the woman grievous injuries.

An emotional Charles recounted how his daughter was eventually found on Monday. “Her son was out walking the dog late in the afternoon and suddenly he spotted his mother’s husband sitting on a bench and eating grapes. The boy tried to restrain the man until help arrived. My grandson asked bystanders to call the police. When the officers arrived Roddy surrendered and told them where Nathalie was being kept.”

When Nathalie’s brother and the police arrived at the place where she was being detained, the victim was found in very poor health. She was found in a sort of tunnel underneath fortifications found between Fort Rinella and Fort Ricasoli. Nathalie was covered in dust and unconscious. She was cold, hungry and thirsty. The father said that the daughter could not climb up because the hole was too deep.

Charles said he first saw his daughter in hospital. “She was very weak, trembling, almost dead. After some hours she started speaking some words and tried to tell us and the police what she had gone through. She said her husband had pressed a piece of glass to her neck and threatened to cut her head off with it.”