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Region One farmer gets 44 years for rape
A farmer of Aruka District in Region One was yesterday sentenced to 44 years in jail for two counts of sexual penetration committed on a girl under 12 years old.
Errol De Souza, 42, a father of twelve, was sentenced to prison after a probation report was presented to presiding Judge of the Sexual Offences Court of the Georgetown High Court Jo Ann Barlow.
According to the allegation the acts were committed between January 1 and December 31, 2013 and on May 3, 2014. State Prosecutor Lisa Cave called a Social Services Officer to the stand who revealed intimate details about De Souza’s life.
According to the report, De Souza who grew up in Region One, engaged in ginger farming and part -time logging to provide for his family which consisted of a reputed wife of six children. He had six children from a previous relationship and would often consume alcohol.
Errol De Souza
The report revealed further that the man was never a trouble maker in his village and that he denies the rape accusations against him. De Souza instead claims that the child’s older sister instigated the allegations against him.
However, a ChildLink Court Support Officer, who read the victim’s impact statement into evidence revealed that the child is saddened by what happened between herself and De Souza.
In her statement, the victim, now 16 years old, noted that she had shared a close relationship with the perpetrator prior to the incident. She noted that the experience made it difficult for her to socialize and to trust other people.
She said that because of her experience she could no longer play with her siblings or friends and view people in the same light.
In his plea of mitigation, De Souza’s Lawyer Ravindra Mohabir asked the Court to consider that “no violence was used in the commission of the crime.” He said, too, that his client has an unblemished record—he was never charged prior to the incident.
The lawyer claimed that his client was remorseful for his actions and beseeched the court to consider the man is a father of 12 including a five- month old baby.
He asked the court to consider the impact it would have on the family particularly the children, if De Souza should be put away for a long period given he is the sole bread winner for his family.
Prior to the sentencing, Justice Barlow however noted that there were a number of aggravating factors in the matter.
In addition to breaching the victim’s trust, the Judge noted that De Souza was not remorseful for his actions— He instead tried to blame the child’s elder sister claiming that she had instigated the little girl to frame him for the crimes.
Justice Barlow noted, nonetheless, that the evidence against De Souza was compelling. She said that while the attorney claimed that no violence was used in committing the act—that statement is not accurate.
The Judge said that based on the evidence De Souza had raped the victim the first time, but aggravated the situation when he committed the act a second time. Barlow said there are an alarming number of reports of sexual abuses committed against children, and a strong message must be sent to society that such acts will not be condoned.
“What you have done to the victim is more than violence …Our children must be protected,” the judge told the accused who stood in the prisoners’ dock a short distance away.
As such, Justice Barlow sentenced De Souza to 20 years in prison on the first count and 24 years imprisonment for the second charge.
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