Arrest warrant for mother

Magistrate Nanette Forde John did not say if bail will be granted to the 43-year-old woman when she is arrested.

The magistrate has been presiding over the case in which the stepfather who is 53, is charged for indecently assaulting his step-daughter on June 17, 2014. The allegation is that the stepfather who is from Penal, touched the child’s breast. Teachers from a school where the child attends, made a complaint to police which led to the charge being laid.

The accused man has been attending the San Fernando Magistrates’ court and so to has the mother and child. During several hearings that were conducted, the mother had been taking the child to the courthouse. Two other women who are witnesses for the police, have also been attending. They trial is yet to start.

When the case was called on November 10, neither the accused man’s wife nor his step-daughter (the virtual complainant) were in court. The two women were present and so to was the accused stepfather.

Magistrate Forde- John issued a summons for the mother to attend court to explain why she had refused to bring the child to court. The summons was served on the woman on November 26. The case was adjourned to yesterday’s date.

When the case was called yesterday, the stepfather appeared along with his attorney Jeevan Andrew Rampersad.

The two women sat in court as witnesses.

Magistrate Forde-John observed that once again the mother and the virtual complainant were not present and she enquired from court prosecutor PC Cleyon Seedan, about this absence. PC Seedan said that despite the summons that was issued, the mother still refused to attend. He then asked that a warrant be issued for her arrest.

Attorney Rampersad told the magistrate that because of the continued absence of the main witness (the virtual complainant) the case against his client should be dismissed.

Magistrate Forde-John stood the case down for a few minutes.

When the matter resumed, PC Seedan told the court that the police was requesting that a warrant be issued for the arrest of the victim’s mother.

Woman Police Constable Cooper was then called and asked to go into the witness box. WPC Cooper took the oath and testified that she had sworn to the summons and served same to the victim’s mother on November 26. Magistrate Forde- John then obliged the prosecutor’s request and signed a bench warrant for the arrest of the victim’s mother.

The case was then adjourned to January 17.