St Vincent PM questions sentencing of man found guilty of sexually assaulting four-year-old

SOURCE: KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (CMC) — St Vincent’s Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves says the recent case of a man forcing a four year-old to perform a sexual act on him is one in which the court should have departed from the guidelines on sentencing sex offenders.

The man also filmed the child performing the sex act on at least one occasion, the first count of which occurred when the child was around two years-old.

Gonsalves, who is also Minister of Legal Affairs, asked why no charges were brought under the Cyber Crime Act as the video of the sex act was circulated on social media.

Earlier this month, the man, the man pleaded guilty at the Family Court on two counts of indecent assault of the child.

President of the Family Court, Colleen Mc Donald, sentenced him to two years in prison on each count. The sentences will run consecutively.

There had been widespread public outrage over the sentence, with many people, including Opposition Leader, Godwin Friday, calling for stiffer penalties for sex crimes.

But, speaking on radio programme here on Sunday, Prime Minister Gonsalves noting the reaction of the public, said “I want to ask all persons who have been talking that it’s important that we have the factual matrix.”