THE police have signalled their intention to appeal the decision of Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore, who on Friday found former Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Slowe not guilty of three counts of sexual assault.
Magistrate Azore, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court ruled that the prosecution had not met the high threshold of proof required in criminal cases, noting that the evidence presented by both the prosecution and defence was of equal weight.
“The magistrate based her ruling mainly on the fact that the evidence of the prosecution and the defence is of equal weight and the law is clear that when this is the case the benefit of the doubt must go to the accused. The court added that it cannot say that it is sure of the accused’s guilt and that conclusion is not a finding that the complainant fabricated her evidence, it is a recognition that the prosecution has not met the high threshold required by law,” a release from the police said.
Slowe had been charged on October 15, 2021, with three counts of sexual assault, contrary to Section 4(3) of the Sexual Offences Act, Chapter 8:03.
The charges stemmed from a report by a female police officer who alleged that on three occasions in March and April 2019 at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, Slowe had sexually assaulted her.
Senior Police Legal Adviser and Attorney-at-Law Mandel Moore appeared on behalf of the prosecution. The police have since indicated that they will challenge the magistrate’s ruling at the appellate level.
Back in June 2025, Magistrate Azore had ruled that Slowe must lead a defence in the case, following her decision to dismiss a no-case submission brought by his legal team.
The ruling was handed down whereby Magistrate Azore had determined that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to warrant the continuation of the matter.
The allegations were first reported by the female police officer, prompting an investigation that culminated in the charges. The police also indicated that Slowe subsequently made public comments via social media that were directed at the complainant.
According to the police, those comments further traumatised the alleged victim and breached the protective provisions of the Sexual Offences Act.
The Act, which specifically seeks to shield the identity and dignity of complainants in sexual- offence matters, prohibits public commentaries that could lead to the identification or targeting of the victim.
As a result of those social-media remarks, police investigators compiled a separate case file which was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Last year, upon review, the DPP, recommended that Slowe also be charged with “Anonymity for Complainant in Press Reporting” —an offence under the Sexual Offences Act. It is a criminal offence that prohibits the publication or broadcasting of any information that could lead to the identification of a complainant (victim) in a sexual-offence case.
