Police arrested and charged a 30 years old man “with two counts of indecent assault and two counts of attempted unlawful sexual intercourse” with a minor.
According to well placed sources the alleged perpetrator was caught in the immoral act by his girlfriend with whom he is said to share a girl child. The victim is said to be a 7 year old child who is in Grade 3 .
In an attempt to verify the reported accusation, ANN reached out to sources at the implicated child’s school and was told that senior staff there are aware of the incident and that the child’s grandmother had been contacted; she informed the school that the police was already notified.
This incident is said to have occurred sometime between December 2019 and January 22 2020.
In cases of suspicious or alleged child (sexual) abuse any party privy to pertinent information is mandated by local law to report said suspicions. The Child Care and Adoption Act of 2010 define people with mandatory reporting responsibilities as “a person who provides health care, welfare, education, child care services or law enforcement wholly or partly to children.” The Act, in Section 14 Subsection 2 further stipulates “if a person to whom this section applies has knowledge or has reasonable grounds to suspect that a child is in need of care and protection in any of the circumstances mentioned in section 12 that person shall: a) without delay, report or cause to be reported, the circumstances to the Director, or to a police officer who shall report the information to the Director; and c) provide the Director with such additional information as is known or available to the person.
Subsection 5 details the legal punishment for noncompliance with the mandatory reporting clauses. It says “a person who fails to comply with subsection (2) commits an offence and is liable, upon summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars or a term of imprisonment not exceeding three months.”
The Act also describes under which conditions the State considers a child to be in need of care. It also provides for persons to anonymously report any conditions to the authorities.
ANN was also assured that the supposedly abused child is being seen by a male counsellor but a lady therapist is being sought to help alleviate any post traumatic reactions his presence may trigger in the alleged victim.
The young lady who allegedly walked in on the act refused to comment when ANN reached out to her.
Reports are that the alleged perpetuator is originally from the Central Kingstown district but moved into the neighbourhood where he lived with his girlfriend.
Apparently “a more pleasant young man you will not find,” one source described him.
His was released on bail but mandated to report to the Central Police Station in Kingstown.
ANN will continue to update as more information comes to hand