FORTY-FIVE-year-old Selwyn Lancaster was, on Wednesday, October 9, 2019, found guilty, by a 12-member mixed jury at the Demerara High Court, of raping a six-year-old girl in 2018, and also engaging in sexual activity with her.

Lancaster of Linden, according to the first charge, on October 8, 2018, in the county of Demerara, engaged in sexual penetration with a 6-year-old girl.

The second charge stated that Lancaster, on November 6, 2018, engaged in sexual activity with the same girl by touching her vagina.

“I really don’t have anything to say” Lancaster said when asked by the trial Judge Simone Morris-Ramlall if he had anything to say about the verdict.
The victim’s impact statement was read in court by a probation officer. The witness said that she still felt sad and got angry every time she saw Lancaster.
“I want Selwyn to go to jail because of what he did to me” the victim said in her statement.
Lancaster was remanded to prison and will return to court, on October 28, 2019, for sentencing, after the presentation of a probation report.

The Guyana Chronicle had earlier reported that Lancaster was taken into Police custody after the mother of the child filed a complaint against him.
The alleged incident reportedly took place at the home of the child’s mother.
According to reports, Lancaster was friendly with the mother of the child and frequently visited the family’s home.

On November 6, 2018, it is alleged that Lancaster visited the home, and, after having a conversation with the mother in the yard, where she was doing chores, he made his way into the house and then to the verandah area, where the six-year-old girl and her 10-year-old sibling were playing.
It was there that Lancaster allegedly exposed himself to the younger child and touched her vagina.

The older child, who witnessed the incident, informed her mother about what Lancaster had done to her sister.

By the time the mother hurried into the house, the man had already left the scene.
The shocked and confused woman immediately called in the Police and Lancaster was arrested the same night.
While being questioned, the six-year-old told her mother that Lancaster had once placed his penis into her mouth and forced her to perform oral sex on him.