Rowe denies rape allegation, says case has deeply affected his family

Member of Parliament Neil Rowe insisted on Tuesday that he did not rape a woman in 2022, telling a nine-member jury that the case against him has taken a serious toll on his children, parents, and close friends.

Taking the stand for the first time on Tuesday, Rowe opted to give an unsworn statement from the dock before Justice Pamela Beckles in the No. 5 Supreme Court after the prosecution closed its case. He is accused of raping a woman at his Kingsland, Christ Church residence on September 18, 2022.

“I would want to deny these allegations that were brought against me,” said Rowe, who was at the time Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly. “I am a father of three—a son and two very beautiful daughters—and this matter has impacted my family, my children, parents and close friends in a very negative light.”

He told the court he was thankful that DNA tests found no evidence linking him to the alleged acts.

Rowe testified that the complainant had visited his home on at least three previous occasions and that during the third visit, she had asked to “chill out” with him. He said even though she lay next to him almost naked on that occasion, he never touched her.

“I remember she was wearing a dress; and then she took off her dress and her bra, and she lie next to me in a bare underwear. And even that day, talking to her, I did not touch [her] at no point in time, or even made any sexual advances to her,” the government backbencher said.

The St Michael North West MP recalled that he fell asleep in the bed during their conversation, and the woman messaged him when she returned home, saying, “I couldn’t believe that you would fall asleep on me so.”

He said the two had first met during a Crop Over cruise on July 30, 2022, and had gone out to breakfast and lunch several times. He claimed that during one of their conversations, when he shared plans to build his own home, the woman told him she wanted to replace her car with an SUV and asked him for money to pay the deposit, but he refused.

During another visit to his home, she allegedly told him that if he was interested in sex, he only needed to say so—an offer he said he laughed off.

“I asked her where that came from. I said, ‘all I want is to get to know you as a person’…. She started crying and telling me about her marriage and things  like that,” Rowe said.

He said the night before the alleged incident, he and the woman were both at a party at Highgate Park. He told the judge and jury that when he announced he was leaving the party, the woman – who did not arrive there with him – said she wanted to ride with him.  Rowe testified that he left the woman and the man with whom she had gone to the party, conversing, and walked towards his vehicle. He said the virtual complainant soon caught up with him and his friend, Barry who was also leaving at the same time.

According to Rowe, he and the woman ended up at his residence which he shared with his mother and stepfather.

He testified that they showered together, he gave her a T-shirt to put on along with her panty, and they went to his bed. He wore boxer shorts.

“In less than five minutes, I was sleeping, because the fastest I could do is drop to sleep…because I work so hard,” Rowe said.

“At no point in time…in the bed, did I attempt to perform oral sex on [the complainant], or did I attempt to put my penis in her vagina. At no point in time,” the government MP insisted.

The trial before Justice Pamela Beckles continues on Friday morning.

Rowe is represented by Senior Counsel Michael Lashley, alongside attorneys Safiya Moore, Sade Harris and Johnette King. State Counsel Olivia Davis is leading the prosecution.