Source: Daily Observer- Sentencing for a man convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl has been adjourned until October 31 as the court awaits his probation report.
The man, now in his late 40s, was found guilty in September by a jury following a trial that began in July before Justice Ann Marie Smith.
The case involved allegations of rape against the young victim, who testified virtually from off-island about incidents that allegedly occurred while she was spending a weekend at the home of her mother’s friend in December 2021. The accused was the boyfriend of the mother’s friend and was 45 years old at the time of the alleged incidents.
The victim testified that on the morning of the alleged assault, she was sleeping when the accused entered her room and touched her back, waking her up. After exchanging morning greetings, he left and she returned to sleep. She testified that he returned and “rubbed her back down to her bottom area,” causing her to feel “weird and a little bit scared”. She said she got up and placed a pillow in front of her.
The complainant described going to shower in a bathroom that was accessible through two doors. She testified that the accused entered while she was showering and moved the shower curtains, leaving her scared and unsure of what to do. According to her testimony, he held her arm and pulled her out of the shower while it was still running, then pushed her in a way for her to bend over before allegedly assaulting her. She testified that she “tried to push him off and was crying”.
The victim said when the man left the room, she told him she would tell her mother, to which he responded with a “funny smile” and told her to keep it a secret. She testified that after the incident, when wiping her skin, she noticed spots of blood and returned to the shower to rinse the blood from her body.
After deliberating for several hours on the evidence presented during the trial, the jury sided with the prosecution and returned a guilty verdict.
Justice Ann Marie Smith was to hand down a sentence this week but it was adjourned until the end of the month once the probation report is completed.
