WCB man on trial for alleged child sexual offence

– 8 witnesses slated to testify

Thirty-seven-year-old Robert Campbell from West Coast Berbice (WCB), who was accused of rape, pleaded not guilty to the charge when he appeared before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall at the Berbice High Court on Wednesday.
As such, a mixed jury was empanelled to hear the matter, with the prosecution slated to call eight witnesses to the stand. Attorney at law Kevin Morgan is representing Campbell, while the State’s case is being led by prosecutor Marisa Edwards.
Among the witnesses are two welfare officers, four relatives, a police officer, and a medical practitioner.
However, testimony began on Wednesday with a police officer outlining the sequence of events following an incident on April 30, 2018, which led to Campbell being placed before the court.
A medical practitioner also took the witness stand and told the court that her examination of the alleged victim revealed no visible signs of physical injury, such as bruising or tearing.
Meanwhile, under further questioning, the doctor explained that the absence of such findings does not necessarily rule out that an incident may have occurred.
During cross-examination by defence counsel Morgan, the medical practitioner agreed that in certain circumstances, including where specific conditions exist, it may be unlikely for visible injuries to be detected. The trial is expected to continue with the testimony of the victim and her mother.