Jesse Matthew Trial: Alleged Victim of 2005 Sexual Assault to Testify Thursday

The victim of a 2005 sexual assault is flying from India to Fairfax County, Va. for a pretrial hearing where she will face her alleged attacker, Jesse Matthew.

Matthew, 33, is charged with abduction with the intent to defile, as well as capital murder in the killing of Hannah Graham, a 19-year-old student at the University of Virginia (UVA). Shortly after arresting Matthew, police stated they were able to link the case to the 2005 sexual assault with DNA.

However, the victim in that case is being brought in for a pretrial hearing to determine whether or not she would be a reliable witness going forward, the Associated Press reported. The attack occurred 10 years ago and the victim apparently faced away from her attacker during the assault.

Still, she was able to provide a description after the attack that generally matches Matthew's appearance. The judge presiding over the case is expected to set a date for the trial later this month.

Matthew's lawyers asked the judge to close Thursday's pretrial hearing to the public, the AP reported, citing the heavy coverage the case has received to this point. In their motion, the attorneys expressed concern that all the media coverage could adversely affect the jury pool.

While they contend the press should not hear the 2005 assault victim's testimony, as it could be ruled unreliable, a lawyer representing the AP and other news outlets is challenging the motion. The news consortium's attorney stated the judge can take measures to ensure the press does not taint the jury without blocking them all together.

According to the Washington Post, the victim flying in from India is expected to arrive in the U.S. only a matter of hours before the hearing, which could be delayed to Friday if she is behind schedule.