Teen says life “changed completely” as rape convict awaits sentencing 

A teenager told the Berbice High Court on Wednesday that her life has “changed completely” and that she now struggles with trust issues and emotional trauma as a victim impact statement was presented during the sentencing hearing of Robert Campbell before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall.

During the proceedings, the court heard that the teenager has found life difficult since she was raped by Campbell and continues to experience emotional challenges and issues relating to trust.
The matter came up for a sentencing hearing, during which a probation report was also presented to the court. Sentencing hearings are conducted before a final sentence is imposed and allow the court to consider a range of material, including victim impact statements, probation and conduct reports, and mitigating and aggravating submissions from both the prosecution and defence. The Judge then determines what sentence is appropriate, often taking guidance from comparable cases previously determined by the courts.
Campbell had previously been convicted in the Berbice High Court for the rape of a child under the age of 16, following proceedings before Justice Morris-Ramlall. The State’s case was led by Prosecutor Marisa Edwards, while Campbell was represented by attorney Kevin Morgan.
The court had earlier heard evidence from several witnesses, including welfare officers and police witnesses, during the trial.
Justice Morris-Ramlall is expected to hand down a sentence after considering the reports and submissions presented during the sentencing hearing.