SOURCE- DAILY OBSERVER: “This is the worst case I have ever heard in my life,” Justice Ann-Marie Smith stated after a man admitted to having sex with his daughter.
The 51-year-old pleaded guilty to four counts of incest, admitting to having intercourse with his own daughter on multiple occasions between 2014 and 2015.
The incidents involved the man engaging in sexual acts with his daughter while she was still a minor, resulting in her becoming pregnant at the age of 15.
Initially, in March 2023, the defendant denied the charges, leading to the commencement of his trial on Tuesday, at which time he was without legal representation.
The victim testified to enduring daily abuse from her father since childhood.
After sharing her story, the trial was set to resume on Wednesday, but a major turning point arose.
Attorney Wendel Alexander decided to represent the defendant free of charge. After considering the attorney’s advice, the defendant changed his plea, leading the jury to deliver a guilty verdict.
During her testimony on Tuesday, the now 25-year-old victim disclosed that she had reported the sexual abuse to her school counsellor when she was approximately 11 years old, resulting in police intervention.
She provided a witness statement and was subsequently removed from her home for her safety.
However, prior to her departure, her father coerced her into writing a letter falsely accusing the counsellor of fabricating the abuse allegations.
Against her will, she complied with her father’s demands and was allowed to remain in the abusive environment, suffering ongoing sexual assault.
In June 2014, the defendant returned home heavily intoxicated and had sexual intercourse with his daughter outside the house in a section that was still under construction.
The following year, in December, it was confirmed that the victim was pregnant. She was fully aware that the child belonged to her father as he was the only person she had engaged in sexual activities with.
Even during her pregnancy, the abuse did not cease, as the man continued to have sexual relations with her.
Furthermore, shortly after the baby was born, before the six-week recovery period, the defendant engaged in sexual intercourse with his daughter again, exacerbating her postpartum bleeding.
Around six months after the birth, she contacted her welfare officer, leading to her removal from the home and placement in a safe environment, both for her and the baby.
The defendant was initially arrested in 2015, although the case was never fully brought before the court.
It was not until 2021 that he was rearrested and officially charged after the victim took legal action against him to seek child support.
After pleading guilty yesterday, the man’s bail was revoked. He is now on remand at His Majesty’s Prison awaiting sentencing on May 10.
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To be quite honest, the system failed this young lady ever since she was a minor. When she first reported of being molested to her school guidance counselor, further checks and investigations should have been done. Ninty nine percent of the times when these claims are made, though unsubstantiated, they are TRUE. Clearly the environment that she lived in since those early days were dangerous and contributed to the constant abuse that she endured. Her first report of sexual molestation by her father was a red flag which was sadly ignored and it allowed this nasty and wanton abuse to continue.
But time longer than rope and he is now getting his due. As a society though, we have to stop talking a lukewarm approach to these claims of abuse- sexual or otherwise, by children and young adults. By our own inaction we are perpetuating and allowing these things to continue without taking the necessary action to stop them.
He should be lost in jail and never see the light of day again.
This incident sickens me. The system indeed failed this young lady! I hope that the powers which be have learned from this situation and will do better for young people who are being abused. The ministry which deals with such cases are a joke. I remember several years ago, I went to seek help for my nephew who was troubled and had no where to go because his mother could no handle him and had put him out after much exasperation. When I spoke to the counselors there no one could help me. Even though he was a minor they could not help him. When I asked what would happen to him they said they did not know. He had to resort to sleeping on the street as a minor. The government with everything they are doing, and all the boasting of revenue recovery has to become more involved in helping in some sort of way. They are doing everything thing else but helping vulnerable young people. The PM is building a community center in Villa. He should have focused his attention instead on building a place to house and protect such vulnerable children among us. The government has no vision in the area of social transformation! I hope this young lady heals from this unimaginable trauma. I cannot believe that the one person who was supposed to protect her caused her such unimaginable pain.
The system will continue to fail us because it was set up to continue the abuse. There are people who are on the front line who also continue the abuse even after its reported. Its the same welfare officers among others in the same system set up to help the abused who are also doing the same thing. As a child that was bounced from home to home because my parents failed me I was also a victim of the same abuse and in every single one of the homes some of them family members. Some of these young women who constantly go missing these are the reasons. There is no real help for neglected or troubled teens especially the girls. Anyone want to come for come because I can call names and open a whole can of worms. We need real help for young people. The system is truly broken
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JESUS CHRIST MAN THE CHILD TALK.N U ALL STILL PUT HER BK IN THE HM.THIS MAN DESERVED DEATH.NOT..JAIL..,11 years MY GOD PURE WICKEDNESS. JAIL.CANT U ALL SEE THESE PEOPLE ARE DOING THESE CRIMES BECAUSE ALL U ALL DOING IS
PUTING THEM IN JAIL. ONE PERSON RELEASE FROM JAIL SAID THESE GUYS IN JAIL THEY RAPE SAID THEY KEEP TALK HOW THEY WILL DO IT AGAIN IF THE GET ANOTHER CHANCE…BECAUSE YOU ALL RELEASING THEM.BY SERVING A LITTLE DEAD BEAT TIME…YOU MURDER N PROVEN GUILTY.DEATH.YOU RAPE AND PROVEN GUILY DEATH…….
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