Father of two pleads guilty to raping girl, 13

A MAYARO father of two yesterday pleaded guilty to three counts of statutory rape, when he admitted to having sex with a 13-year-girl who was under his care while her mother was at work. The accused will know his fate Thursday when he reappears in the San Fernando High Court for sentencing. The accused admitted committing the crime before Justice Anthony Carmona, who presided over the Third Criminal Assizes. In outlining the case, State attorney Alexander Prince said the man was charged with three counts of having sex with the minor between December 1 2001 and May 10 2002, at his Mayaro home while the victim’s mother was working in San Fernando. The court heard that on the first two occasions the sexual offences were committed on a mattress where the teenaged victim was asleep next to his bed.

The third assault occurred on a bed. The State attorney said at the time of the incident, the accused was 24 years old and had two children with his 36-year-old common-law wife. A report was made to Mayaro police and PC  Dookhie arrested and charged the man. In a mitigation plea, his attorney Capildeo Maharaj said his client left school in Standard Four and had difficulties in his family life. Maharaj asked the judge to consider a non-custodial sentence for the accused who said from the day of his arrest, he wanted to plead guilty. Prince told the court the accused had one previous conviction for possession of marijuana. Carmona said he needed time to consider the case before passing sentence. “The facts speak for themselves. My decision will not be out of compassion, but will be very clinical in nature. There is a need to counter-balance the stirring plea of mitigation with the factual reality of the situation,” Carmona said as he ruled that sentencing will be on Thursday.