-accused threatened to kill family, released on station bail

A 13-YEAR-OLD girl of Corentyne, Berbice was reportedly raped four times by her stepfather and is now living in fear after he threatened to kill her and her family.

The man was in police custody for some six days and was released on $100,000 station bail, pending advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). This newspaper understands that the 43-year-old Carpenter allegedly raped the teenager four times between August 2016 and February 2017. The teen did not tell anyone about the first three instances but decided to tell her mother on February 23, 2017 after the incident occurred the fourth time.

According to the mother, her daughter told her she cannot live in the house anymore and after she inquired the reason for such a decision, the teenager made the revelation. The teen pleaded with her mother not to confront the alleged rapist, since he threatened to kill the family if she told anyone.

The 40-year-old mother of four explained that when she confronted the accused about what her daughter related, he initially denied it and accused the teen of lying. However, when the mother continued to press the issue, the man reportedly whipped out a cutlass and threatened to kill her and the entire family.

“When she tell me about what happened, he wasn’t at home so I called but he didn’t answer so when he came home I confronted him. I said [name withheld] you troubled her but he turn and say she lying but I said to him I believe her because she said you did it to her bigger sister and your daughters too,” the tearful mother said.

She continued, “He say ‘I gonna murder all of ya’ll in here today!’ My other children were in the house too and when they hear that they run out the house. He had a cutlass in his waist and he pulled out to fire but my 16-year-old son see when he pull it out and we both wrestle with he.”

The woman related amidst tears that as the struggle continued, the cutlass fell out of the man’s hand and she made a dash for the bedroom as her son ran out the house in a bid to escape the enraged man.

“After me son and he scramble and the cutlass fall down my son run out de house and I try fuh run in the bedroom but he pick up the cutlass and start firing chops at me but he keep missing. The fuss one catch the fridge or that would a chop off me neck cause I duck and the second one catch me on the shoulder,” the mother said.

The woman recalled that she started to scream, after which neighbours gathered and took her to the police station in her bloodied state, where she was made to wait for over an hour before anyone took her report.

She was then referred to the Port Mourant Hospital where she received six stitches for the wound. Police eventually arrested the accused and he was detained for six days before being released on station bail.

This newspaper confirmed that the file was sent to the DPP for legal advice last week.

LIVING IN FEAR
Meanwhile, with tears streaming down her face, the woman told the Guyana Chronicle that she and her family are living in fear since the man is walking freely on the streets.

“One time he threatened saying he gonna chop me up and put me in a septic tank and nobody would know,” the mother said. She related that her daughter detailed the first time the man raped her.

According to the mother, her daughter said she was in the shower when the step-father attempted to force his way in but she managed to push him away; however he later made his way into her bedroom where he forced her to have sex.

“She told me when he came in the bedroom she begged him not to do it but he told her its ok he did it to her older sister and two of his daughters, even as she pleaded with him to stop.”

The teenager is visibly traumatised and according to the mother, she [the daughter] is suicidal, since she blames herself for what happened.

“I told her I believe you and we will get through this. She’s a really bright girl and in class she wasn’t concentrating. I had to go into school a few times…she tell me ‘mommy I gonna kill myself’ when she had to help me clean the cut.”

The mother accused the police and the Child Care and Protection Agency of not taking the issue seriously and called on the relevant authorities to ensure justice is served.