Vickram Persaud was on Monday found guilty by a 12-member jury of raping a 16-year-old girl back in 2009. The jury delivered its unanimous verdict before Justice Brassington Reynolds at the High Court in Demerara. Following his arraignment, Persaud had denied the charge which alleged that on June 7, 2009, in the county of Demerara, he engaged in sexual penetration with the teen without her consent.
The convicted rapist, who was represented by Attorney-at-Law Nirvan Singh, was remanded to prison pending sentencing which has been fixed for May 25, 2021. Then, a probation report and victim impact statement will be read to the court. State Counsel Sarah Martin and State Counsel Nafeezah Baig appeared on behalf of the prosecution.
During Persaud’s trial, it was revealed that he is known to the victim and her family. The facts revealed that on the day in question, Persaud and the young girl were in his boat on the Demerara River. After tying the boat to a nearby tree, Persaud grabbed the teenager, dragged her out of the boat then onto a hill. When the victim started to cry, the man strangled her.
Persaud then demanded the teen girl to give him “some wife.” Thereafter, he pushed her onto the ground and ripped off her garments. He then forcibly had sex with her. After the incident, the young lady went home and complained to her mother, who reported the matter to the Police. When Police ranks went in search of Persaud, they found him hiding in some bushes at Timehri, East Bank Demerara.
