By PAVEL BAILEY
A SIX-YEAR-OLD girl gave testimony in the Magistrate’s Court on Friday about the alleged sexual abuse she endured from a man on trial for unlawful sexual intercourse.
The testimony was heard before Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt- Evans in the trial of Kashawn Russell, 20.
Russell is accused of committing the act last year.
While giving testimony on Friday, the child recounted the alleged incident.
She said she was at a relative’s home watching videos on her tablet when a man entered the room. She then said she put her tablet down as he approached her and that the man put his fingers under her dress and rubbed her genital area.
When the police prosecutor, Sgt Moss asked how that act made her feel, she indicated that it made her feel bad by pointing her finger down.
During cross-examination, the defendant’s lawyer Ian Cargill asked the witness if any of her family members, including her mother or her father, had told her to make these accusations against his client, to which she responded no.
Responding to questions from Mr Cargill, the child said the relative whose home she was at on the day in question was out with friends when the alleged incident took place. That relative is now deceased.
Further questioning revealed the child first told another relative about the alleged incident who then reported it to her parents. They then took the child to be examined by a doctor before they filed charges against Russell with the police at CDU.
However, when Mr Cargill asked the complainant if she had reported to police that Russell had touched her before the alleged incident, she said no, which contradicted the official police statement on the matter.
When asked why she said something different to police when the incident was first reported, the girl said she did not know.
The girl’s father also took the stand, confirming he took his daughter to the doctor to be examined before they filed a complaint against the accused.
The case was adjourned to April 22.
Commenting has been disabled for this item.