A couple from Kelly Village, Caroni, were denied bail when they appeared in court yesterday in connection with the sexual assault of their eight-year-old daughter. The 38-year-old man and his 31-year-old wife, who cannot be identified to protect the identity of the victim, were remanded into custody when they appeared before Senior Magistrate Gillian David-Scotland in the First Court. They were charged with two offences under the Sexual Offences Act and were not called upon to plead.
The man was charged with committing an act of incest against the child at their home last year and the mother was slapped with one charge under Section 31 of the legislation, which makes it an offence to fail to report sexual abuse against a minor to the police. If convicted the woman will face a fine of up to $15,000 or up to seven years’ imprisonment.
The victim and her siblings, ranging in age from five years to four months, were removed from the family’s home and placed in a children’s home in December after their parents were charged with their wilful neglect. The child reported her father’s abuse to staff of the home last week, leading to her parents’ arrest on Monday. Cpl Curtis Pierre and WPC Robinson, both of the Caroni Police Station, investigated the case and laid the charges. The couple will reappear in court on April 9.