Rapist Walks

After sitting in Court and listening to the heart wrenching details of the rape of his 17-year-old daughter and hearing the verdict of “guilty!” returned, the father of the victim knew that justice had been done. The next-door neighbour who raped his teenage child was going to prison for a long, long time.

The man was tried by a jury of nine of his peers all of whom were unanimous in their decision on Monday at the High Court in Kingstown – “guilty!”.

But when the sentence was passed on Alonzo Lewis, a 30-year-old labourer formerly of Kingstown Hill, and the father learnt of it, he got weak in the knees, confusion jolted his mind because the man was not sent to jail, not for even half an hour. {{more}}

Instead, the labourer was bonded to keep the peace for three years in the sum of $15,000. In default he will spend five years at Her Majesty’s prison.

It was like an electric shock jolted to the father.

“I do not think it is fair, but the judge’s decision is final and I will have to let the law take its course,” the father told SEARCHLIGHT in an exclusive interview adding that the penalty should have been much harsher.

“It is people like this who pose a great nuisance to our society today and something has to be done about them,” he said, his head hanging in sorrow and disbelief as if the proverbial pill was too much to swallow.

“People like that should be imprisoned for such offences, this would teach them a lesson not to interfere with people’s girl children.”

He said he knew that rape was prevalent in St Vincent and the Grenadines but they are not reported.

“Too many rapes are happening here and they must stop,” he said.

He feels strongly that the Court needs to send a strong message to rapists by imposing heavy sentences to teach other offenders a lesson”but the message that this sentence can send is that the next rapist can get a bond also.”

He urged parents to speak more often with their children and make them aware of what is going on in society.

The rapist no longer lives next door to the victim.

Due to a mitigation plea by veteran attorney, Arthur Williams, rape accused Alonzo Lewis walked away from the High Court on Monday with a heavy burden lifted off his shoulders.

Lewis was spared a lengthy prison sentence by Justice Lyle St Paul after he was found guilty by unanimous decision by a nine-member jury for the rape of a 17-year-old.

Instead, the 30-year-old labourer was bonded to keep the peace for three years in the sum of $15,000. In default he will spend five years at her majesty’s prison.

Williams strongly opined that a suspended sentence should be given since he has no previous convictions. He noted that there were never any reports of brutal injuries on the defendant.

“If there is a case for leniency, this is one,” argued Williams.

The case which started approximately two weeks ago heard evidence from the virtual complainant. In her evidence to the court, she stated that on August 5 last year, she woke up around 8 a.m. and was doing household chores when she realized woodlice on the backdoor of the house. She said she went to ask the accused for some kerosene oil. He was picking breadfruit. She said that Lewis told her that he was going to return a stick and when he came back she would get the kerosene.

She recounted him calling her after he had returned and she was by the window handing the bottle for him to fill with kerosene.

“When I went to the window to carry the bottle, he said if I want it must come for it,” said the young lass.

On her arrival at his house she said the accused held her by her hand and started pulling her in the house.

“I was holding on to the door frame and trying to pull away from him.”

Not being able to maintain her composure, she tearfully recalled being thrown on a piece of sponge in his room and him placing his penis in her vagina. She said she was struggling to get away from him but he did not stop.

After experiencing the dramatic ordeal she said she ran home, took a shower and went into town and informed her parents of what had transpired.

In a recorded statement given by Lewis he said he did hold onto her and was pulling her.

“I asked her why she behaving so?”

Lewis said he had on a boxer at the time and his penis was stiff.

“I told her I would use a condom.”

He went on to say that her legs were spread apart “and I started wining and rotating my penis in her, she was telling me to stop but I did not stop immediately. I stopped when I saw her crying,” said Lewis.

The defense lawyer added that his client was totally remorseful of his actions and accepted the fact that he made a silly mistake.

“Why do you men get involved in such stupid things, when a woman says stop she means stop, you must have respect for women.”