Dharamlall rape allegation: Alleged victim wants no further action taken

The 16-year-old schoolgirl who accused the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall of raping her has requested that no further action is taken in the matter, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum confirmed on Friday.

“At this time, I am only able to confirm that the alleged victim has given a ‘no further action statement’ to investigators in the presence of one of her parents and a representative from the ChildCare Agency. The file is currently being prepared to be sent to the DPP for further legal advice,” the Crime Chief said Friday night in a statement issued to the press.

The rape allegation that first surfaced two weeks ago on social media has sparked public outrage with calls for Dharamlall to resign.

The politician proceeded on administrative leave on June 18 in light of the allegations that he raped the schoolgirl in December 2022. He was arrested on June 19 and subsequently released on $1 million station bail.

On June 20, the Office of the DPP, in a press statement, said that due legal attention is being given to the case file but the DPP later sent back the file to the Police to conduct further investigations.

It is unclear what action the DPP will now take when the file is sent back to her with the alleged victim’s request to withdraw the complaint.