…to serve two consecutive life sentences
In what she said was meant to send society a strong message, Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry on Wednesday sentenced 46-year-old Navindra Badal, called ““Uncle Ravi,” to serve two consecutive life sentences for raping a nine-year-old girl on two separate occasions during 2016.
It was determined in the Sexual Offences Court that the acts were committed between July 1st and 31st, 2016, and August 14th and 15th, 2016 at an East Coast Demerara village.
When the jury returned the guilty verdicts after two hours of deliberation, Badal had nothing to say after the verdicts were handed down; but the victim, through Child Link Counsellor Celeste Mullin, told the court she feels sad about what had happened to her, and that after she was abused, she started to steal from her mother just to keep friends. Now 11 years old, the victim also said she wanted the offender to go to jail for what he had done to her.
In computing the sentence, Justice Beharry took into consideration the physical and psychological impacts the victim has faced. Considering the age of the child, she indicated that the girl has been scarred for life.
Justice Beharry’s order is that Badal must serve 45 years on each sentence before getting the chance of parole.
Badal was represented by Attorney Maxwell McKay, while State Counsels Ornithia Schmidt and Lisa Cave prosecuted the case.
