“THE worst day of my life, the day I lost my pride and dignity” were the words of a brave 14-year-old girl as she gave her survivor statement in court, as her 41-year-old rapist was being jailed.

Morris Johnson, a taxi driver from Linden was sentenced by High Court Judge, Justice Brassington on Friday, October 4, 2019, to serve 18 years in jail for raping the young woman two years ago.
Two months ago, Johnson was found guilty by a 12-member jury for engaging in sexual activity with a child under the age of 16, between August 12, 2017 and August 13, 2017, at Linden.

Johnson was represented by attorney-at-law Keoma Griffith while the State was represented by prosecutors Abigail Gibbs and Seeta Bishundial.
A probation officer, on Friday, read out a report she had prepared on Johnson, after conducting an investigation on his life.

Johnson, has two children, ages 16 and 10, from his first relationship and is expecting another child soon, since his reputed wife is currently seven months’ pregnant.
His family and community members described him as a caring, responsible, hardworking, humble and polite person.

However, the probation officer explained that some of the taxi drivers, who operate in the same area as Johnson, said that it was a rumoured that he (Johnson) was involved in “such thing.”

While speaking to the victim, the probation officer said that the child still had nightmares from that traumatic day and was teased at school by other students about the incident.
The teen’s mother had told the probation officer that the incident affected her daughter’s academic performance

The victim, who is now 14 years old, on Friday, took to the witness stand and read her survivor statement.
“The worst day of my life, the day I lost my pride and dignity. Life has not been the same since that day!” She said.

She added that Johnson had caused her humiliation and left her feeling depressed which at one point she even tried committing suicide.
However, the teen said she was met with support from family and persons around her even though she became distrustful of the opposite sex and saw males as the worst creatures on earth.

“I wish that he suffers and feel the pain that I went through” the teen pleaded as she begged for justice to be served.

Johnson’s attorney, Keoma Griffith, in mitigation, told the court that until that incident his client had an unblemished record.

He also asked the court to consider that Johnson had two young children and might not get to see his now unborn child, if he is behind bars.
Nevertheless, Prosecutor Abigail Gibbs told the court that Johnson preyed on an innocent 12-year-old girl and took away her innocence- her virginity.

“He dragged her out of his car like an item. After he had sex with her, he left her by the road side,” the prosecutor said.
Additionally, she said, Johnson had caused the girl, at a young age, to develop distrust and hatred for the opposite sex.

The prosecutor asked the court to consider the increase in sexual offences and to send a strong message to likely offenders that such behavior was unacceptable.
Before sentencing, Justice Reynolds said that, based on the probation report he does not believe that Johnson is a “sicko that goes prowling in the night” but “something in him needs serious attention.”

However, the judge said Johnson preyed on the young girl and capitalised on her vulnerability thus deflowering and violating her body.
Johnson was sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment, with the possibility of parole after serving 15 years behind bars.

According to reports, on the day in question, the child, who attended an event with three of her friends, caught a taxi referred to as ‘$100 car’ or ‘short-drop car’ at Co-op Crescent, Mackenzie, around 22:00hrs in an effort to get to her home in Linden.
However, upon reaching her home, the taxi driver passed the stop where the child and her friends were expected to get out.

The three friends who were seated in the back seat reportedly forced their way out of the car, leaving behind the victim, who was sitting in the front passenger seat and was wearing the seat belt.

After her friends had taken their leave, the child was then taken to a ‘back road’ area at Lower Kara Kara, Linden by the taxi driver, where she was forced out of the vehicle and sexually assaulted.

When he was done, the suspect then dropped the victim off at the Kara Kara Bridge, Linden where she was left to walk home.

The victim’s relatives, who were said to have been looking for her after the friends with whom she had shared the taxi alerted them as to what had happened, took her to the police station and subsequently to the Linden Hospital for a medical examination.

The results of the medical examination proved that the victim had indeed been sexually assaulted and Johnson was later arrested and charged.