Antigua: Man found guilty of raping 14-year-old cousin

A young girl in Antigua has finally received justice for a crime committed by a family member.

After hours of deliberation, a jury unanimously convicted a man Monday of raping his 14-year-old cousin.

The prosecution detailed the events of August 1, 2020, when the victim, the defendant’s second cousin, was brought by her father to visit her adult cousin’s house.

While the then 31-year-old defendant and his wife were also present in the house, the defendant took advantage of a moment when the victim’s father was not there, entered her room and had a brief sexual encounter with her.

The victim felt disturbed by the incident and only reported it four days later after being confronted by her parents one day for deceiving them about her whereabouts.

Although the defendant denied the rape allegation and gave his version of events to the police, the jury found him guilty.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 14.

In Antigua and Barbuda, sexual relations with a family member are not considered incest.

The Sexual Offenses Act 1995 states: “A person commits the offense of incest knowing that another person is related by blood, as the case may be, to a parent, a brother, a sister, a grandparent, a grandchild, an uncle , a niece, an aunt or a nephew.” may have sexual intercourse with that person.”

The defendant was then accused of rape.