Thirty-year-old miner, Karl Robinson of Imbaimadai, Upper Mazaruni River, was on Tuesday found not guilty of raping a 10-year-old girl back in 2017.
Following hours of deliberations, a 12-member mixed jury returned a unanimous verdict, acquitting Robinson of the charge of the rape of a child under 16 years.
The indictment against him was that he sexually penetrated the 10-year-old on March 25th, 2017 in the County of Essequibo.
The State’s case led by Prosecutor Tiffini Lyken was that Robinson had led the child into some bushes where he sexually assaulted and instructed her not to tell her mother what had happened.
According to prosecution’s facts, the child, however told a friend at school some days later that she had been molested by Robinson.
The alleged assault was then related by the friend to the class teacher who brought it to the attention of the head teacher after which the child’s mother and police were contacted.
Robinson’s defence was one of alibi—stating that he was elsewhere—at the time the child alleged being assaulted.
His story was that he was in the backdam at the time—away from even the location the virtual complainant pointed out as being the location of the alleged assault.
Following the jury’s verdict, presiding judge, Justice Jo-Ann Barlow informed Robinson that he had been found not guilty and was free to go.
The trial proceedings were held in-camera at the Sexual Offences Court of the High Court at Suddie, Essequibo.
