VICKRAM Persaud, a 41-year-old farmer, was, on Tuesday, sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for raping a 16-year-old girl back in 2009.
The custodial sentencing was handed down by Justice Brassington Reynolds at the Demerara High Court.
On May 3, a jury had convicted Persaud for the indictment which read that on June 7, 2009, in the county of Demerara, he engaged in sexual penetration with the teen without her consent.
The convicted rapist, was represented by Attorney-at-Law Nirvan Singh, while state counsels Sarah Martin and Nafeezah Baig appeared on behalf of the prosecution.
Persaud in his statement to the probation officer which was presented to the court on Tuesday, stressed that the victim fabricated the story and was forced by her mother to do so.
The victim’s impact statement was read in court by a social worker.The victim explained that Persaud betrayed the position of trust she had for him since she used to look up to him as a parental figure in her life.
In her statement, the victim expressed that the day her innocence was taken away was the worst day of her life. She said that she became depressed and had a hard time trusting people.

Justice Reynolds noted the manner in which the offence was committed and the fact that the rapist maintained his innocence up until he was about to be sentenced, even after being found guilty. The judge in sentencing Persaud to 20 years, told him that he preyed on a young girl and shattered her innocence and bodily integrity. The rape convict was also ordered to attend counselling for sexual offenders.
According to the facts of the case, Persaud is known to the victim and her family and on the day in question, he and the young girl were in his boat on the Demerara River. It is alleged he stopped short en route to their destination along the creek, dragged the victim from the boat, took her deep into the bushes and raped her.
After committing the crime, Persaud took the child to his mother’s home where contact was made with her parents. The victim went home and complained to her mother, who reported the matter to the police. An investigation was launched and Persaud was found hiding in a clump of bushes at Timehri, East Bank Demerara.