A young girl who claimed she was raped at the age of 14 said her life took a turn for the worse as she coped with the trauma by using drugs, joining gangs and consuming alcohol.
She also skipped school many days and eventually dropped out and started to cut herself. She claimed she had three abortions while being involved with a 21-year-old man who eventually became abusive.
The young lady made this revelation in an impact statement report which was read in the High Court on Wednesday by Probation Officer Nichola Foo in the presence of the man accused of raping her.
“Being touched for the first time made me feel so dirty, made me feel like I was tossed in mud. That night after losing my virginity, my whole life took a turn,” the victim said.
Jermaine Agustus, a father of six, was charged with rape and sexual activity but was found guilty of the sexual activity and not guilty of rape by a 12-member jury who delivered the verdict after deliberating for almost one and 30 minutes Wednesday.
Agustus sneaked into the young girl’s East Coast Demerara home on February 15, 2016, and committed the act.
He was sentenced to five years imprisonment by Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall, who sits in the Sexual Offences Courtroom at the Demerara High Court.
He will be eligible for parole after serving three years behind bars.
Agustus was represented by attorney-at-law Maxwell McKay while the State was represented by prosecutors Tariq Mohammed and Tuanna Hardy.
In mitigation, defence attorney McKay pleaded with the court for leniency since Agustus is the sole breadwinner for his family.
“I agree with the decision that the jury had. All I have to say is that I’m sorry,” Agustus said as he cried in court.
Life spiralled out of control
Meanwhile, the victim in her statement to the court said that she started to smoke marijuana, popped pills and “allowed men” to use her.
The young lady said she dropped out of school without the knowledge of her mother and hid at home where she cut herself.
The victim said her life “went downhill” when she became involved in an abusive relationship with a 21-year-old man; she claimed to have had three abortions for the man.
The young victim further noted that she then hooked up with different guys at strip parties and was once drugged and gang-raped. Her mother sent her back to school and she was eventually placed in an orphanage because of her behaviour.
Now at age 17, the victim explained that she suffers from sickle cell and has a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD.)
Justice Morris-Ramlall, in considering the nature of the case noted the fact that Augustus told the court that he “withdrew himself from the situation” after he became uncomfortable with the age of the girl.
Agustus told the court he always suspected that the young lady was below the age of consent and from the inception, he accepted responsibility for his actions.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story initially stated that Augustus was charged with the rape of a child under the age of 16 but was found guilty of the lesser charge of sexual assault, however, the Supreme Court has confirmed that he was charged with both rape and sexual activity and found guilty of the latter charge. The News Room apologises for any inconvenience caused.
