(DOMINICA NEWS ONLINE) Acting Deputy Police Chief, Lincoln Corbette has said that the police will be instituting criminal charges against 16 year-old Rianna Serrant after concluding their investigations into a report of alleged kidnapping made by her.
On Saturday March 9, 2019 Rianna Serrant sent a distress call to her twin sister in Pointe Michel stating that she was kidnapped and needed help.
“After receiving the report of alleged kidnapping, in furtherance of this report, the police conducted several operations including vehicle check points (VCP), foot patrols and searches and they all proved futile,” Corbette said.
He said that he was very disturbed when he read on social media that people had posted that the police was out conducting searches but given the situation of social media they (the police) have no control of the matter.
“We want the people to work with us,” he said.
Corbette said that the police received a tip-off when someone from the community of Stock Farm saw the missing teenager.
“On Sunday March 10, 2019, the child was seen walking in the community of Stock Farm westward in the vicinity of Sign Man. The police was alerted and she was picked up thereafter, brought to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and then to the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) where she was medically examined and discharged,” he explained.
He continued, “I wish to reiterate, without any contradiction, that the report of kidnapping or abduction was a false report. The child was not abducted or kidnapped; she did not want to be found. The person she was with is with the police giving us a full detailed report of what transpired. The child arranged everything way in advance down to the final detail. Every step that was given to the police including the distress call was prearranged by her.”
The deputy chief of police called the situation “unfortunate.”
“These reports are very unfortunate and waste the police time, instilling fear in the population of people being abducted. The child has given conflicting stories to the police; she has not spoken the truth. No abduction and or kidnapping, that is all false,” Corbette insisted.
He said the police force is small with minimal resources and such behavior is unacceptable.
“We are now in the process of instituting criminal charges against her. She is above 12 years and knows what she is doing, shouting wolf. We are very disturbed about that situation and we will institute criminal charges against her,” he confirmed.
In response to questions from the media about the child being “raped” he said that she was medically examined but she also preplanned’ the entire matter.
“I can’t confirm she was raped but I can confirm that given the discussions with the guy who picked her up, that she was not raped,” Corbette stated.