Two St Michael men charged in separate sexual assaults against minors

Two of this nation’s children were sexually violated within the last few months with one of the incidents resulting in pregnancy, according to charges filed in the law court.

The two separate cases came up before Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes today where prosecutor Victoria Taitt put forward arguments for keeping the two men away from society at this time and the victims. Both  accused have been remand to Her Majesty’s Prison Dodds until May 31.

In the first case heard in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court a 27-year-old car washer is accused of raping his 11-year-old niece. According to the indicatable charge between September 1 and September 30, 2020 the man, knowing that the child is his blood relative, his niece, had sexual intercourse with her.  The St Michael man’s name is being withheld to protect the child’s identity. He was not required to plead to the charge.

The prosecutor told the Chief Magistrate that the two resided in the same household and the matter only came to the attention of police in February after the Child Care Board made a report.

In objecting to bail PC Taitt pointed to the seriousness of the matter stating that the accused had been in a position of trust as the child’s uncle and he breached it.

“The complainant was impregnated and will be giving birth next month. The complainant and by extension society need to be protected from the accused man,” Taitt said and pointed to the strength of the evidence against the accused and the penalty attached if convicted.

Mitigating on the accused’s behalf attorney-at-law Samuel Legay acknowledged that the allegation was a serious one but said the accused could be granted bail with strict conditions given that he was not known to the court. He said the accused had another place where he could live and was gainfully employed as a car washer.

“We ask that the court extends its hands of mercy and grant him bail,” Legay submitted.

Chief Magistrate Weekes however exercised his discretion against the defence’s application for bail.

“This is not only a serious allegation but it is extremely grave,” Weekes said as he pointed to a rape case which was recently adjudicated in the High Court by Justice Christopher Birch.

He continued: “The issue involves a blood relative . . . It is grave and at this point in time I should . . . keep him”.

In the second matter a 68-year-old man is accused of having sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl with special needs, without her consent.

The retiree also from a St Michael community is said to have committed the act between February 15 and March 18 this year. He too was not required to plead to the indicatable charge.

Prosecutor Taitt objected to bail on the same grounds as the other accused. In this case however she disclosed that the accused is the adoptive father of the child’s sister.

“The complainant viewed him as a father figure . . . and he breached that trust,” Taitt submitted adding that the child had been staying with the accused for a period of time.

In his application for bail the accused told the Weekes, “I have no intentions of going nowhere or doing anything wrong.”

However in pointing to the gravity of the allegation Chief Magistrate Weekes told the man who had no legal counsel, that he would be remanded.