By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
A 36-year-old man who raped and impregnated his 12-year-old stepdaughter after drugging her with a vape and then forced her to drink Guinness and castor oil to induce an abortion was sentenced to ten years behind bars yesterday as part of a plea deal.
The man, whose name is being withheld to protect the victim’s identity, appeared before Senior Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson to face two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse and one count of garrotting. Police say the abuse occurred between August 1 and September 30, 2023.
It began one evening while the girl watched television with her younger siblings. The stepfather reportedly sent the younger children out of the room, then placed his hands under her dress and penetrated her with his fingers.
The second assault happened a few days later while she was holding her baby brother in bed.
The man took the child from her, laid him in the middle of the bed, and raped her.
She said he pinned her down, ignored her cries and kicks, removed her clothing, and raped her without a condom, covering her mouth to silence her. The assault lasted roughly 20 minutes.
Two days afterwards, he gave her a colourful vape to smoke. She recalled taking two puffs and falling asleep. After waking up, the minor noticed that her panties were off.
In January, when he noticed that her stomach was getting big, he gave her castor oil and Guinness to drink, which made her vomit.
He also told her he would pay for her to go to the doctor, but he said he needed to find one he trusted.
The child’s mother learned about the abuse when her daughter revealed that her stepfather had been sexually abusing her, ultimately leading to his arrest.
The girl said she was afraid to tell anyone sooner because he threatened to kill her if she did.
A doctor also conducted a physical check and confirmed that her hymen was not intact and that she was pregnant.
After his arrest, police said the child confronted her abuser and confirmed he had sexually abused her multiple times.
The child said he would give her a vape, causing her to black out, and she would wake up with her underwear missing.
The man admitted to the crime and apologised in court yesterday, claiming he is trying to improve himself daily.
“I’m sorry to my wife, to my family and to my kids, and I hope someday, I would be forgiven,” he said.
His wife, the child’s mother, sat silently, tears streaming down her face during his apology.
Justice Grant-Thompson said she was unsure if his wife would forgive him immediately but acknowledged that it was a matter between her and God.
She reprimanded the man for his actions, emphasising that although the child was not his biological daughter, he stood in the role of her father and should have never abused that trust.
She acknowledged his early guilty plea but noted that the facts and circumstances of the case remain deeply troubling.
“The society at large is not happy with these types of offences,” she said.
“They are aware that yours is a heavy responsibility and the position of every father and mother to protect the children of the nation, and certainly, their innocence should not be abused.”
Taking the plea agreement into consideration, the judge sentenced him to ten years in prison for the two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a dependent child.
He was also sentenced to eight years for the offence of garotting, to run concurrently.
His 11 months on remand will be credited towards his sentence. Additionally, he was ordered to undergo counselling and anger management.
After serving his sentence, he will be placed on probation for two years. He was told that failure to comply would result in an additional year behind bars.
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