Sophia man gets life sentence for raping teen with Down syndrome

A 36-year-old man who broke into a house one night and raped a girl with Down syndrome at knifepoint has been jailed for life with the possibility of being paroled after 20 years by Demerara High Court Judge Sandil Kissoon.
Last month, Rondell Chappel, called “Devil”, of Section A Sophia, Greater Georgetown was found guilty by a jury on one count of engaging in sexual penetration with a child under the age of 16. He raped the 15-year-old girl between September 5 and 6, 2020.

It was reported that the accused escaped from his trial during the week of November 20, causing the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to issue a wanted bulletin for him.
Chappel, while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, broke into the girl’s home, while she was at home alone, held her at knifepoint, and then raped her. At the time of the incident, the girl’s mother was at work.
Delivering his sentencing remarks on Monday, Justice Kissoon declared that the law has a very long arm and that Chappel would be found and punished for his unlawful actions.
At the time of the incident, the Judge recalled that the girl’s mother had left for work, securing their home with a chain and a lock. Given the settings of this case and the aggravating factors, Justice Kissoon said that the maximum sentence for the offence, which is life, was warranted.
Chappel was represented by Attorney-at-Law Ravindra Mohabir, while three State Counsel, namely, Cecilia Corbin, Caressa Henry, and Marisa Edwards prosecuted the matter.
Anyone who has information on the whereabouts of Chappel is asked to contact the Police at: 225-6940, 225-8196, 225-2317, 226-7476, 227-1149, or at the nearest Police Station.