A TEENAGE girl has told a court she still has “bad flashbacks” after being groped by a man at last year’s Portuguese Food Festival.
The alleged victim was giving evidence in the Magistrate’s Court trial of 41-year-old Jose Carlos Figueira Mendes. He denies the charge of sexual touching without consent.
The alleged offence is said to have taken place during the event in the People’s Park in August last year.
The teenager said that Mr Mendes groped her buttocks while standing behind her.
She said: “He grabbed me by the waist, very hard. He was pulling me towards him. He was pinching my skin the way he grabbed me.
“He was grabbing my bottom and kept jiggling it. I was just in shock. I couldn’t speak. Ever since I’ve had flashbacks, very bad ones.”
The girl admitted that she had been drinking at the time of the alleged offence, and Advocate Mark Boothman, defending, asked her: “Are you sure that alcohol didn’t affect your memory of the incident?”
She said: “Yes, I’m very sure.”
Another girl, giving evidence, said she had seen Mr Mendes speaking to the alleged victim earlier in the day. She recalled: “It was weird, the way he was talking to her.”
Advocate Boothman asked her: “You didn’t actually see him doing anything to her, did you?”
She replied: “No, but I could see how close he was to her, and that made me feel uncomfortable.”
The advocate said: “All you know about the incident is what she told you, isn’t it?”
She said: “Yeah, but she looked uncomfortable the whole time.”
Another witness, answering questions from Crown Advocate Lauren Taylor, prosecuting, told the court that the alleged victim seemed distressed and uncomfortable.
She said: “At the time I didn’t know why. It was just her body language and her face.”
Assistant Magistrate Adam Clarke was hearing the case. A verdict was expected today.
