Man, 33, found guilty of raping girl, 13

Thirty-three-year-old Damon Assanah was on Thursday convicted by a 12-member jury for the rape of a 13-year-old girl in 2015.

Assanah was on trial before Justice Brassington Reynolds at the Demerara High Court on three counts of rape, which alleged that during the months of January, October and November 2015, he engaged in sexual penetration with a child, who was under the age of 16.

The jury found him not guilty on the first two counts and guilty on the latter, which occurred in November 2015. He was remanded to prison until June 3, 2021, until his sentencing hearing.

Assanah was represented by attorney-at-law, Ravindra Mohabir, while the State’s case was presented by Prosecutors Sarah Martin and Nafeeza Baig.

According to reports, Assanah is known to the victim and during the month of January 2015, he raped her near a turtle pen. During October 2015, the victim was sent to the shop by her mother and while on her way, she was stopped by Assanah.

He allegedly forced her into his car, drove home and raped her again.

It is further alleged that on December 7, 2015, the victim was at school and began vomiting; the next day, her mother took her to the Georgetown Public Hospital where a blood and urine test was conducted.

The tests confirmed that the teen was seven weeks pregnant. She told her mother about the incident with Assanah, who was later arrested by police.