West Bay man acquitted in indecent assault case
(CNS): A local man wept with relief Thursday afternoon when a judge acquitted him on two counts of indecent assault against a child, following a trial this week. The 30-year-old man was accused of indecently assaulting the girl as far back as 2008, when she was around 7 or 8 years old, and on a second occasion some time in 2012. On both occasions the man was staying in the same house as the little girl and was accused of getting into bed with her. On the first occasion he was accused of removing the child’s underwear and on the second lying on top of her and touching her genitals.
Neither incident was reported to an adult at the time and the child did not speak about either incident to anyone in her family but told a school counsellor sometime after the second allegation.
Now a teenager, the girl gave evidence this week but Justice Michael Wood, who presided over the case alone, said there were a number of ambiguities and uncertainties in the evidence and the young girl had given conflicting accounts and was unable to be precise about the number of times the man reportedly touched her.
He also raised concerns that both the girl’s parents had told the court that they had spoken to her on more than one occasion about the importance of her telling them if anybody ever touched her inappropriately, which the judge said he believed. But when she took the stand, the girl denied that she had ever discussed such issues with her parents.
Justice Wood said that from the moment the allegation was made, the defendant had spoken to the police without a lawyer because he said he had done nothing wrong and strongly refuted the accusations, stating all along that they were “utterly untrue” and that he had felt humiliated betrayed the whole family involved, as he emphatically denied the allegations.
The judge said that, given all of the circumstances, he could not possibly say that the crown had provided enough evidence to prove its case, as he found the man not guilty.
Or maybe, just maybe the man is innocent??
Sexual assault on vulnerable family members is not unique to the Cayman Islands nor is it more common here than in other parts of the world. We have perverts like other countries and thanks to social media they’re being exposed (pardon the pun). Perhaps the high rate of exposure suggests that their presence is more common. In any case, bravo for these cases being investigated and prosecuted. Hopefully the Courts are correct in their determination in this case.
5.40pm, check with Social Services, it is a major problem here. In other countries if you read news reports is is not nearly so common, a lot of children are abused but not so many by family members as you have here.
The Cayman Islands Judicial website makes no mention of this judge, does itneed updating?.
Sexual assault on children is very common in the Cayman Islands, mostly carried out by family members. Until parents are willing to prosecute, it will continue, and even then it is an uphill battle. How many Caymanians have been convicted of this offence in the last 20 years?.
They need to start making an example of the offenders with severely harsh penalties in the forms of 100k + fines and custody sentences.
I genuinely hope that the bravery of these girls that are finally coming out will encourage others.
Yes!
The way in which these cases are handled is deplorable. RCIPS, lawyers, and judges need to be properly trained. SMH
Cayman needs better and more experienced leadership within the Child Protection Team. Funding should have top priority for this to be implemented. Failure of this will result in many, many more cases falling down.
I cannot understand why the English courts do not follow the verdict system they have in Scotland, which allows for a third alternative to “guilty” and “not guilty” i.e. “not proven”.