HIV POSITIVE CONVICTED RAPISTJAILED

A 40-year-old Bethel, Tobago man who was diagnosed as HIV positive, afflicted with pulmonary tubercolosis just over one year after and who allegedly raped a 16-year-old girl, was yesterday sentenced to 10 years simple imprisonment by Madame Justice Paula Mae-Weekes in the Tobago Assizes.

Called by the defence, Dr Friday Osuafa, who is attached to the Scarborough Hospital, testified in court yesterday that Glenford Guy was admitted to the institution on May 15, 2002 and tests confirmed he was HIV positive. He was also diagnosed as suffering from pulmonary tubercolosis (tubercolosis of the lungs) two months later, in July 2002. Dr Osuafa acknowledged that tubercolosis is an infectious, airborne disease that could be spread through spitting. Guy, who was represented by attorney Larry Williams, was found guilty of rape by a jury last month.

The incident is said to have occurred at Guy’s Common Hill, Bethel home on February 2, 2001. He was charged by WPC Denise Berkely. In passing sentence, the judge told the convicted rapist that he had “lured the 16-year-old to a place where you could take advantage of her. And (during the trial) you made it look as though the young girl was promiscuous. You require punishment; your actions require punishment”, Justice Mae-Weekes declared. “This is too prevalent! A stop must be put to it; and the courts have to take appropriate action in this regard”. The judge further told Guy: “Your movements will be well controlled in the prisons, and I trust that all medication possible will be made available to you there”. This in response to a plea from defence attorney that his client not be  sent to jail because of his medical condition and the highly infectious nature of tubercolosis.

According to evidence led by State Prosecutor Brambhanan Dubay, Guy, who was said to have been a friend of the mother of the victim, accosted the victim just after 9 am outside the Bethel Empowerment Centre. He told the victim that they were related and asked her to accompany him to his home, the court was told. The victim obliged, and when they got there an old woman who was at the home disappeared into a bedroom. The old lady was said to be senile. Guy then held on to the victim’s hand and began pulling her towards a bed. The court heard that the victim told Guy: “I didn’t come here for that”. He, however, stripped off her clothes and committed the act, the court was told. He later told police that he could not remember seeing the victim on the day in question.