Father, 42, guilty of raping daughter

A 42-year-old father was yesterday found guilty of having sex three times with his 11-year-old daughter but not guilty of committing a sex act on his nine-year-old daughter. However, Justice Devan Rampersad tomorrow will sentence the former Caroni (1975) Ltd worker in the San Fernando Fourth Criminal Court. The accused’s name was not used in an effort to protect the identity of his daughters.  Originally from San Fernando, the man went on trial before Rampersad charged with three counts of incest and two counts of grievous sexual assault.

The State’s case, led by attorney Shabana Shah, was that the offences took place at the victims’ home. The man committed the first two acts of incest on his 11-year-old daughter between  February to May 2003 and on June 11, 2003; the third act took place on April 30, 2005. It was also alleged he committed grievous sexual assault on the girl between February to April 2003. On the fifth charge it is alleged he committed grievous sexual assault against his nine-year-old daughter between  April and July 2003. The state had alleged  he had bitten the nine-year-old on her genital area. However, the nine-member jury found him not guilty on that offence, but guilty on the four offences against his other daughter. 

The accused kept a serious expression when the jury returned the verdicts after an hour of deliberations. Defence attorney Michael Rooplal, in his mitigation plea, requested counselling for the accused. He said given the nature of the offences counselling would perhaps go a great way to rehabilitating him. He said the accused, who had been in custody since 2006, was Hindu by birth but has since converted. He said the accused attended church at the Maximum Security Prison chapel every week. The judge adjourned the matter to allow the attorneys an opportunity to furnish the court with authorities on sentencing in such matters.