Victims must speak out

Yesterday, the 35-year-old mother of two said she had since learned the man had a pattern of approaching girls and encouraged them to step forward and speak out.

The concerned woman said since she shared the man’s picture on social media, she has learnt her daughter was not his first victim.

“This must never happen again,” the infuriated mother told Sunday Newsday yesterday.

“I have been told and have also been reading comments on social media that it is not the first time. This seem to be something ongoing, so I am asking members of the public, anyone who he may have interfered with already, whether physical or verbal, in whatever way, to please come forward and talk about it so we can build an even stronger case for him to stay in there (locked up) longer.” The woman and relatives captured the 29-year-old man when he showed up at her home in Central Trinidad last Thursday night thinking her would be meeting her daughter.

Her daughter reported the man to her when she travelled home as a passenger in his PH taxi after school.

He had asked the girl to give him her cell number and she did so to appease him so he would let her out of the car. The man began sending WhatsApp messages to the girl’s number but the replies he received where not from her but from her mother pretending to be the girl. He made his way to the woman’s house and was nabbed and beaten before being turned over to the police.

Up to yesterday, the suspect remained in police custody at the Chaguanas Police Station as investigations continued into allegations made against him.

Sunday Newsday understands he is expected to be charged for entering the woman’s home even as investigators review whether he can be charged for offences under the Children’s Act.

After the incident, the woman circulated photos of him on social media.

“His picture is out there,” her mother said.

“If only more people can come forward so that he can be charged accordingly.

This cannot be the first time he has done this because you take baby steps in this kind of action. For him to actually come back the said day to the girl’s premises, shows that this is not the first time.

(He) accustom doing this thing.” She said she learned the man operated the car as a taxi for a woman, and plied the Chaguanas/ Enterprise and Chaguanas/Longdenville routes.

As for those who chastised her for exposing the suspect on social media, the Chaguanas mother said she will not be fazed.

“I cannot be bothered with the negative comments because at the end of the day, my child’s safety is my only concern. All we are concerned about is seeing that justice is done and that no family has our experience. Her dad is standing behind our action 100 percent and we want to see something come out of this.” She said the experience has been very traumatic and she would be seeking counselling for her daughter.