COLWYN King, a former President of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), former educator and father, was on Thursday sentenced to 19 years’ imprisonment for raping a six-year-old girl.

King, who is 61 years old, was found guilty last month by a 12-member jury.
The conviction was handed down at the High Court in Georgetown before Justice Simone Morris. He committed the crime on two separate occasions in April 2021.

The court heard that King committed sexual assault against the child by inserting his fingers into her vagina while she was alone in his care.

The victim continues to suffer emotional trauma. The child and her mother delivered emotional statements to the court, outlining the devastating and ongoing effects of the abuse.

The child said that she continues to feel hurt and emotionally overwhelmed by the incident. In her own words, she said she cries when she is alone and described the impact of the abuse as something that has left a permanent scar on her life.

“I will never forget what happened,” she told the court in a statement read on her behalf.

The victim’s mother expressed profound sorrow and guilt over what had happened to her daughter. She told the court that her child still screams in her sleep and suffers from frequent emotional breakdowns. According to the mother, the girl’s academic performance has also declined significantly, and she struggles with concentration and confidence.

The mother expressed deep guilt over not being able to protect her child when it mattered most.

State Counsel Geneva Wills, the prosecutor, emphasised several aggravating factors, including the serious and damaging nature of the offence against a very young child, King’s threats to harm the victim if she spoke out, the victim’s young age and vulnerability, and King’s violation of the trust placed in him as a caregiver.

She also highlighted the lasting emotional and psychological impact on the child, King’s complete lack of remorse, his continued denial of guilt despite conviction, and an unfavourable probation report referencing previous allegations of sexual assault.

She also pointed out how prevalent such offences have become.

During sentencing, Justice Morris emphasised that King had breached the trust placed in him by the child’s parents.

The judge began with a base sentence of 16 years and added three additional years due to aggravating factors, including the child’s young age, the psychological harm inflicted, threats made by King to silence the child, and King’s continued denial of responsibility.

Considering King’s age, the judge remarked that his chances of rehabilitation are limited.
To support the offender’s rehabilitation and reintegration into society, the judge ordered that he undergo counselling until the Chief Probation Officer determines it is no longer necessary.

The probation report revealed that in 2009, King was charged and remanded for a similar offence, which led to him being asked to resign from his position as GTU President.

Although he was acquitted in that case in 2016, several members of his community had long expressed concerns about his alleged behaviour toward women and underage girls.

King addressed the court during the sentencing hearing and once again denied the allegations and pleading for mercy. “This is very difficult. Nothing like this ever happened. I am innocent, and I am at your mercy,” an emotional King told the trial judge.

King was previously on bail during the trial but was remanded to prison after the verdict was delivered.

Muntaz Ali served as the other State Counsel on the prosecution team. The time King spent on remand has to be deducted from his 19-year prison sentence.

King was represented by attorney-at-law Tonza Sarrabo during his trial, but chose to represent himself at Thursday’s sentencing hearing.