Rape charges dismissed against Coen Jackson after victim refuses to testify  

Former Bishops’ High School teacher, Coen Jackson was on Friday freed of three rape charges after the victim opted not to testify and withdrew the allegations.

Jackson was on trial before Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Sexual Offences Court.

The former teacher had denied the charges which stated that on four occasions between February to May 2011, he engaged in sexual activity with a child under the age of 16.

He was represented by attorneys-at-law Nigel Hughes and Jerome Khan.

According to his attorneys, on Friday, the victim informed the Court that she was withdrawing the allegations and no longer pursuing them against Jackson.

Based on the aforementioned, Justice Sewnarine-Beharry directed the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty on the three counts against Jackson.

In February 2022, Jackson was freed of child rape charges; a mistrial was declared on three other counts when he was first tried before Justice Sewnarine-Beharry, resulting in the retrial.

In his unsworn statement to the court, Jackson had said that he had no relationship with the complainant, sexual or otherwise while she was under 16.

He said he established a relationship with her while she was a student at the University of Guyana where he was reading for his Master Degree at the time.

In 2018, Jackson was arrested for the rape and sexual assault of a former student of the Bishops’ High School who is now an adult.

Jackson was out on $300,000 bail.