Man found guilty of raping girl, 12

Found guilty on two child rape charges by a majority verdict of 10-2, Gavin Assanah was on Monday remanded to prison to await sentencing for the crime.
He had been on trial for the offence for about a week before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall and a mixed 12-member jury at the Sexual Offences Court in Georgetown.
The indictments against him stated that he engaged in sexual penetration with the girl between August 1 and 31, 2014, and then again on January 26, 2014. The offence was committed in the county of Demerara.
According to the prosecution’s facts, Assanah raped the girl on two occasions while she was just 12. He was a close friend of her mother.
Sentencing for the convict has been deferred until October 24 to allow time for the preparation of social and psychological reports on Assanah and an impact statement from the victim.
Throughout his trial, Assanah was represented by Attorney-at-Law Euclin Gomes while State Counsel Cicelia Corbin appeared on behalf of the prosecution.