Gadafy son accused of beating woman

Kim Willsher in Paris
Wednesday February 23, 2005
The Guardian

French prosecutors are taking action against the youngest son of the Libyan leader Muammar Gadafy, who is alleged to have beaten a pregnant woman during a rampage in a Paris hotel.

Motassim Bilal Gadafy, known as Hannibal, will be summonsed for questioning about the alleged attack, during which he is also said to have scuffled with police and brandished a gun. France has finally run out of patience with the 28-year-old rabble-rouser, who is said by the foreign ministry to have been involved in "repeated incidents". The police say he has been falsely claiming diplomatic immunity.

Mr Gadafy allegedly beat the woman, eight months pregnant and described as his "companion", when she refused to let him into a room at the Grand Hotel, near the Paris Opera, late one night three weeks ago. Police officers called after the hotel's security officers, who tried to calm him down, reported him waving an automatic pistol.

The woman was taken to hospital to be treated for bruises and "psychological trauma".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/libya/story/0,14139,1423240,00.html