DPP removes all hurdles to release of rape accused pending appeal

Aug 23, 2019 News

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack has removed all legal hurdles that were preventing convicted rape accused, Andre Hetsberger, from being released pending appeal.
The former television camera man was serving a 25-year sentence for raping a 13-year-old girl. The Court of Appeal recently overturned the sentence on Friday, August 9, last.
However, Hetsberger also faced a second sexual offence charge, which was connected to the same alleged victim.
The DPP has since informed the Registrar, via a letter copied to the Commissioner of Police and the Director of Prisons, that the charge and committal for the offence against a child family member be discontinued against the accused.
However, up to yesterday afternoon, Hetsberger had still not posted the $200,000 bail that would have allowed him to be released.
The clerk of court kept refusing bail because of the file that remained in the system connecting Hetzberger to sexual activity of a child family member.
That matter has been discontinued by the DPP.
Back in 2016, Hetsberger, a former television cameraman, was found unanimously guilty by a jury of raping a 13-year-old girl on October 17. 2014.
Following his conviction and sentence, he filed an appeal contending that the verdict was unreasonable and cannot be supported with regard to the evidence cited at his trial before Justice Navindra Singh.
On July 24, the Court of Appeal overturned the conviction and sentence, and ordered that Hetsberger be retried for the offence at the next sitting of the Demerara Assizes which begins in October.
Hetsberger’s lawyer, Dexter Todd, had applied for bail then, but was advised by the Court of Appeal to make a formal application before the High Court.

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