Pensioner’s appeal against child rape convictions set for Monday hearing

An appeal lodged by Michael Abrams, who was sentenced to life imprisonment back in 2017 after a jury had found him guilty on two counts of child rape, is set to be called on Monday at the Court of Appeal for report/directions.

The three-judge Bench comprises Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, and Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud.
Abrams, who is now in his late 50s, had, at the time of his conviction, described himself as a “devoted Catholic.” The first count for which Abrams was found guilty occurred at sometime between January 1 and 19, 2016, and the second count was on January 19, 2016. The jury’s verdicts on both charges were unanimous.
During the trial proceedings which were held in-camera, the court had heard the testimony of Abrams inserting his finger into the six-year-old girl’s vagina, and also sodomising her.
Trial Judge Simone Morris-Ramlall had admonished Abrams for his wrongdoings, telling him, “You say you are a devoted Catholic, I hope you pray to God and ask forgiveness.”
Following the guilty verdicts, Abrams had said that even though the jury “in their wisdom” had found him guilty, he is maintaining his innocence.
“This situation makes me feel sad. I felt like the accused [Abrams] would try to hurt me,” the rape survivor had expressed in a victim impact statement.
For her part, the State Prosecutor had urged the court to impose the maximum sentence on Abrams, and in so doing, had pointed out that the rape convict had abused his position of trust, and had violated the child in the worst possible way, shattering her innocence.
From the testimonies presented at trial, Justice Morris-Ramlall said, it was evident that the young girl loved Abrams. The Judge said that Abrams “pretended” to love her, and treated her “like a beast.”
In sentencing the child rapist, the Judge took into consideration the aggravating and mitigating factors, as well as the circumstances surrounding the case. In the end, she sentenced him to serve life imprisonment on each of the two counts. The sentences will run concurrently. Abrams becomes eligible for parole only after severing 35 years in prison.
The convict is asking the Appellate Court to set aside both his sentences and convictions. He argues, inter alia, that the trial Judge failed to adequately put his defence to the jury. This, Abrams contends, amounted to a grave miscarriage of justice.