Accused Labelled ‘Serial Rapist’ By Prosecutor

She asks for a 25-year sentence, considering the gravity of the alleged incidents inflicted on three minors.

Aprosecutor on Tuesday labelled a man who allegedly raped three minors as “a serial rapist”.

Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Shyamala Alagendra made the remark before High Court Judge Justice Chamath Morais during the sentencing submission for the accused convicted for rape, sexual assault and attempted rape of two girls and a boy.

The accused is convicted of three counts of rape, four counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted rape.

He allegedly raped and sexually assaulted a boy and two girls between January 2014, and December 2015. The complainants were aged 11, 15 and 13 years at the time of the alleged incidents.

The accused is an uncle to the 11-year-old boy and a neighbour of the 15 and 13-year-old girls.

In the eight separate counts, the man allegedly raped the complainants, showed them his private part, forced them to touch his private part and did sexual acts in front of them. Ms Alagendra called the man a serial rapist and a paedophile while seeking the accused’s overall sentence of 25 years or more.

She said in the matter, there were three complainants and she asked the court to consider the gravity of the offence and the harm that was caused.

Ms Alagendra also said the accused posed a great threat to society. She said there was an epidemic of child rapists in the country and the condemnation of judges will only be made clear if they sentence appropriately.

Defence lawyer Shantel Hazelman in her sentencing submissions submitted that the sentence should fall within the tariff, which is 11 to 20 years.

She highlighted to the court that there was no pre-planning and no medical report to show there was actual violence to the complainants. Ms Hazelman also asked the court to take into consideration the time the accused spent on remand. She also asked the court to use her client’s right to defend himself in this case.

Bail for the accused has been extended and the matter was adjourned for sentencing to December 13.