Teen maintains she was abducted and gang-raped

BREAKING down in tears yesterday before a Princes Town magistrate, a 17-year-old girl charged with wasting police time maintained her innocence of the charge and claimed she did not lie to the police but had in fact been abducted and gang-raped.

The teen, mother of a ten-month-old baby, of Maingot Road, St Julien Road, Princes Town, was placed on a $3,000 bond by First Court Magistrate Jai Narine and was ordered to return to court next Tuesday. The accused teen who initially told Magistrate Narine she was guilty of making a false report, later contradicted her plea by stating that she was forcefully taken against her will and forced to have sexual intercourse by a close friend of the family.

The magistrate then called on the teen’s mother and asked if she (the mother) truthfully knew about the circumstances surrounding her daughter’s alleged report of the abduction and gang-rape. Magistrate Narine further cautioned the mother that she could be charged with obstruction of justice and failing to give evidences in the matter (Contempt of Court). The mother told the magistrate that she had told police if her daughter was lying, to charge her, because her daughter was not one to confide in her (the mother). The woman also added that she had told police she honestly did not know exactly what took place, with whom and where.

The mother later told the court that around the same time her daughter went missing, her son’s bank card also went missing. The woman said apart from the owner of the bank card (her son), her daughter was the only other person who knew the PIN (personal identification number) of the card. The woman said checks revealed money was withdrawn from ATM machines at Coffee Street, Gulf City and Point Fortin over the weekend. She said while her daughter was not a disrespectful child, the truth must be revealed and necessary actions taken.

The accused teen was also sternly warned by Magistrate Narine about her non cooperation in giving evidence. Magistrate Narine told her she “ought to tell the truth or face the consequences” since the abduction and gang-rape claims she made were serious and if true, the perpetrator must be arrested and dealt with accordingly. Or, Magistrate Narine continued, if it is found that she was lying, the teen would face the necessary consequences. Magistrate Narine then ordered the police to carry out further investigations into the teen’s claims (of being abducted and gang-raped) before a final decision was made at the next hearing of the case.