Husband And Common-Law Wife On 44 Sexually Related Charges Involving Minor In Trinidad

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, March 6, 2020 (CMC) – A 42- year old man, and his 42-year-old common law wife, will re-appear in court, on March 31, on more than 40 sexually-related charges, involving the daughter of the woman.

The two appeared before Senior Magistrate, Christine Charles, in the Couva Magistrates Court, in Central Trinidad. The man faces 23 charges of sexual penetration of a girl, under the age of 16; while the woman faces four charges of failing to report to the police that she exposed a child, she was responsible for, to mental and emotional injuries. She also faces an additional four charges for failing to report that her daughter was being sexually-abused.

The prosecution also read out 13 charges to the woman, that under Section 12 (1) of the Children Act, a child under her responsibility was being sexually-penetrated by an adult, and she failed to make a report.

Attorney, Andre Koolmalsingh, in seeking bail for the couple, said that his clients had no previous criminal convictions, except that the stepfather was previously charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.

But the prosecution objected to bail, on the grounds that the incidents of penetration were too numerous.

“What concerns the court is the number of incidents, and where the child is staying. Bail is refused,” Magistrate Charles said, advising the couple that they were free to apply to a judge, in chambers, for bail.