DJ jailed for over 16 years for raping woman twice
(CNS): DJ Renato Renaldo Harris (40) has been jailed for sixteen and a half years following his conviction last year for two counts of rape of the same woman in July 2018. Harris’ victim, who was from Canada, became pregnant after the sexual attack and returned to that country to get an abortion. Harris has consistently denied the charges, claiming the woman, who was 24 at the time, had consented. But during the trial, she made it clear she had been very drunk when Harris offered to take her to get food.
During the trial, she told the court heard that she had run into Harris in O’Bar on the West Bay Road and knew he was a DJ. When she discovered that her friends had left, she carried on drinking with him. She said she became more and more intoxicated, so he took her to Burger Shack to get food. But then, instead of taking her home, he took her to the house he shared with his father in the Swamp area of George Town.
That was where she had passed out, she said. When she awoke in the morning, it was clear she had been sexually assaulted. Upset about what she realised had happened, she asked Harris to take her home. But instead, he raped her again, holding her down on what she said was a filthy bed, as she screamed and cried out for him not to assault her.
Harris had denied the allegations, claiming “she wanted it”, but the court had found against him, largely because of the many inconsistencies in his own evidence. The woman had also told a friend she had been raped almost immediately after the assault, which was consistent with the complaint she later filed with the police.
She went on to tell two other people about the rape, including a college professor because in the aftermath of the assault she had missed an exam. She did not report the rape immediately because she had tried to forget that it had happened, she told the court.
As Justice Marlene Carter, who presided over the case without a jury, handed down her sentencing decision Wednesday morning, she said that the sentence must not only punish Harris but serve as a deterrent to others.
Harris moved to the Cayman Islands in 2004 and worked as a DJ here until he was charged in 2019. As she outlined her sentence, Justice Carter noted that Harris has previous convictions for cruelty to a child and assault causing grievous bodily harm.
A social inquiry report found that he showed no remorse and maintained that he was the victim because he said the woman had had consensual sex with him but blamed him when she became pregnant and accused him of rape.
The authors of the report believed he was at high risk of sexual re-offending, which led to the prosecutors seeking a sexual harm prevention order. The court agreed to that request. Therefore, in addition to the 16 years and six months behind bars, Harris will face a number of other restrictions and requirements for another four years after he is released, including a ban from contacting the victim.
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Please remember, CMR is not about news that matters, it’s really a facilitator of gossip.
except this wasn’t gossip. the guy raped a woman
Arguably so, and you may be 100% correct. I wonder though, what kind of “friends” just disappear when a young woman starts drinking with a person she met for the first time? She “discovers” she’s now alone and just carries on drinking? Naivety? Or was there some mutual sense of the direction of the evening?
In any case, he should have assumed it was an automatic NO once the young lady started drinking regardless of whatever butterflies fluttered prior. Also, he has male genitalia, so he’s definitely wrong.
Ah yes, good old victim blaming. You get drunk in the company of a man, its reasonable to consider its assent. And what a prince of a man he is, with his prior convictions. Aren’t you remotely concerned that you seem to share the same views as this POS? Though I guess because I have male genitalia, I must definitely be wrong.
Shoulda been castrated, sentenced to 25 years without the possibility of parole, and then immediately deported on release.
Moved here in 2004? Why no deportation order if he moved here. Please protect our women fron him. Is he related to politicians or something why no deportation order.
Caymanian women procreated with him. That’s why. when he is released he will be deported because those poor children will be over 18.
Except they would have to remember to deport him.
Or a woman with Caymanian status ? Big difference….
Disgraceful that she had to go back to Canada if she wanted an abortion and couldn’t just get it in cayman
Anyone else watching his family melt down on CMRs Facebook? Yikes, the delusions are wide with the Harris family.
Omg! The focus here should be on the rape part of the story as this sort of thing happens like crazy here on this island, by Cayman men! Women getting drunk here need to be careful! And don’t report anything because they probably know the guy or feel it’s their fault. I hope that this story will make more women stand up and report these guys. Unfortunately, most women don’t listen to other women when they’re told to watch out for predators.
I see that in Caribbean women so much.
Renato is not from Cayman..not saying that Cayman men are doing the same but in this case He is Jamaican and will likely be deported after he serves his term.
so, if he cant be deported bevause father of caymanian child
…….then why do i have to take out wp for my single mother of our caymanian child…hhhmmm…i see a bill of rights case brewing…going see a lawyer…why children born in wedlock have more rights tgan those that arent? nothing but discrimination
the scum bag mentioned in the article has multiple children with multiple Caymanian women. no one said anyone was married. Also, what is a “my single mother of our caymanian child?”
He can be deported, and should be. You should marry the single mother of your Caymanian child, financially support her, or she should get a job. That simple. No breach of human rights.
Imagine being gay and having to leave your partner because they refused to acknowledge our right to family life for many years for NO valid reason, just out of discrimination and bigotry.
“my single mother of our caymanian child”; what does that mean?
think he meant his baby mama!
boyyy….i try know a woman prior and make sure she is not intoxicated or anything….no means no! full stop!
He can’t be deported because of a very sympathetic system which is beginning to take hold here. We Caymanians are damn lucky he got convicted because had he picked a jury of his peers this would have a whole different outcome. We have witnessed this injustice several times now where these menace to society can not be return to whence they came because of a very conducive law enforcement system controlled by others. Sure glad she was not drunk in a Taxi !
Plenty of Caymanian men who do the same thing
There are some Jamaicans who come to my weekly dominoes session. I have personally heard at least 3 of them discuss how their first intent after coming to Cayman is to get a Caymanian woman pregnant, so they can’t be deported. Their second is to marry that stupid cow just to get papers.
Heard it with my own ears, I can guess that is the general sentiment of single Jamaican men coming to Cayman.
Human rights my ass. Scrap that law!!
It’s not the law. People from Jamaica telling you that is the law, does not make it the law.
it’s precedent.
That is the working class blue collared men attitude even in Jamaica, where they breed as many as they can for their old age Insurance they claim.Never mind that they can’t support too many because of their income. Also in JA they prey on university students to improve the likely quality of their stock.
So now we have a NAU problem as a result with such persons living on the dole, and their baby mothers plus offspring.
That is the intent of many foreign men and women who come to Cayman; especially from the Caribbean, particularly Jamaica, and Central America, particularly Honduras and Asia, especially Phillipines.
Women (of all nationalities) do it too. One woman who was from Jamaica married my ex only to move to America (once she got her passport) and divorce him. We told him all along this is what she is doing. He didn’t believe us. Once she got her decree nici, she wrote him a letter telling him (that she had used him as a “stepping stone” to get into the US. No wonder we have so many sham marriages.
He came here in 2004. Hmm could he be a proxy recipient of McKeeva’s status give aways in 2003? Sounds coincidental.
POS should be deported.
And this is why abortion needs to legal here.
she was raped here. She should be able to get the medical treatment here.
Get abortion on the referendum now
As far as I know our law already allegedly allow for abortions caused by rape.
dont think so.
Abortion is illegal in Cayman
So are Numbers, not using your indicators, parking on double yellow lines. Need I go on?
For those that are wondering, Unfortunately within the law if he has a child here for a Caymanian, he can’t be deported, something about human right’s “right to family” in these circumstances this law needs to change. Disgusting individual
The right to private and family life, which is enshrined in the Bill of Rights, will not change because it is based on the European Convention on Human Rights.
This does not mean that anyone is above the rule of law, nor should they be. It means that private and family life are factored into consideration with considerable weight.
This is a huge part of the problem. Fathering a child should not be a pathway to Caymanian citizenship or residency. It is too low a bar to clear. Too many men from other countries are conning local women into relationships, simply to gain residency. Then they just abandon the mother and child, who then often become society’s and NAU’s problem. This practice has got to stop, if not for the good of the woman who can’t see she is being used, then for the good of the country as a whole. We are allowing underprivileged Caymanians to be breed into society. 20 years ago, the country could offer opportunities to most of its underprivileged and help improve their circumstances. Not anymore. We are increasing the underprivileged to the point where we don’t have the resources to help them all. You can damn that comment if you want.
According to his history as stated in this article, if he has a Caymanian child is only more reason why he should be deported. Certainly the child and mother would be better off without him being around.
Umm, not the law. He can, and absolutely should, be deported, immediately he concludes his sentence. If anyone in government tries to tell you that a single child who will be grown by the time his father gets out, forces us to have a convicted rapist living amongst us, they are lying.
So Ministers – what say you? All Cabinet has to do is declare him an undesirable inhabitant and “poof” – problem solved.
All in the Immigration (Transition) Act – which no one reads. Is that on purpose?
Well…I highly doubt that he will be a decent and effective part of any child’s life locked away for 16+ years no matter how old his child is now. He can be and should be deported for his crimes, as mentioned, he was already convicted of cruelty to a child and GBH. Really doesn’t sound like he deserves the right to live here in Cayman’s society and being a scourge in our community. He is a menace and got what he should’ve gotten for the cruelty to the child conviction! If he had, it would’ve saved the lady a great deal of trauma and hurt!! Our justice system needs to put more importance on the well-being and life of a child, too…Cayman sucks at complete child protection and justice for abused, molested, and raped child victims!!!!
What’s “family” will he be taking care of in northward for 16.5 years?
@8.27 I’m going to correct myself here, my wording was off. It’s not that he cant be deported but having a child with a Caymanian but it does make it more difficult for the perpetrator to be deported under the bill of right’s “right to family life”
The article states that Harris moved here in 2004. Whatever residency status he has should be revoked upon completion of his sentence and he should be deported. Revocation of residency rights and deportation should be standard practice for foreign offenders to reduce the risk to the public, and to free up space at Northward for our own offenders. Get these guys off the street, both foreign and Caymanian offenders alike. These insufferable humans are giving honest men in the Cayman Islands a black mark that smears us all.
Deportation like the rest of his kind DJ that ya disggggustting rapist
Why no deportation? What kind of scum are we importing, and keeping?
Imported problems. One of thousands
DJ Shithead.
He can now sleep on another filthy bed with a bunch of dudes. The island will be far better with trash like him locked away. Sayonara, worthless shite bag!
Spinning a different tune now.
Rewind and come again.
So, no deportation order?
Good. I know this guy for years now. he’s awful. Deadbeat dad too. You should see the disgusting people on cmr defending him. so gross.
He is not a caymanian and while he may be married here, why didn’t the Justice add on deportation. He should’ve been deemed ‘persona non grata’. No place here for persons of his character.
when he is released his children with Caymanians will be 18+ so that is when he will be deported. Let him rot for a good long while first.
Agreed. I can’t believe Dr. Frank. AN educated fool.
The CMR rape apologists are ridiculous. We’re stuck in the stone age.
Somehow these people have mastered the art of whatabouttery, and somehow feel bad for the guy because alcohol was involved, and there’s also a case of a pedophile where the guilty party didn’t receive a particularly long sentence.
For the CMR folk who can read:
1. Convicted rapists deserve ALL they get
2. Being drunk isn’t a crime in itself
3. Pedophiles are terrible people and deserve long prison sentences