Chemistry lecturer guilty of raping girl under age 13

A Chemistry lecturer at the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College has been found guilty of having sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13.{{more}}

Shortly after 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13th, after nearly two and a half hours of deliberation, the nine-member jury announced their unanimous decision that 48-year-old Grantley Adams was guilty as charged.

The trial, which commenced on Monday May 11th, at the High Court in Kingstown, heard evidence coming from a total of eight witnesses, including the girl, her mother and Adams. Neatly dressed in her school uniform, the girl told the court that on January 16, 2008, she had just come home from school around 4 pm. She said that Adams was in his room and her mother had gone over to the neighbour’s house. “She asked me if I wanted to go but I told her no, I have homework.” The girl stated that she had a copy of a YUTE magazine and asked Adams if he wanted to have a look at it.

“I went back to my bedroom for the paper and I went to his room and rested it on his bed. He then asked me to lie down and I asked him for what? But he did not answer,” she stated. It is then she said that Adams raped her.

Soon thereafter, the girl said her mother came into the bedroom and caught Adams on top of her. “He and my mommy started to fight. He told her let him explain and she asked him, ‘What is there to explain?’ The girl said her mother ran downstairs for a cutlass and ran behind Adams, who fled quickly.

The girl told the court that it was not the first time that Adams had sexual contact with her. She said that on October, 2007, Adams also attempted to have sex with her. That charge for attempted intercourse with a girl under the age of 13 was dismissed after Justice Frederick Bruce-Lyle upheld a no-case submission by counsel Arthur Williams. Williams had argued that the evidence conflicted with the charge and that witnesses had given different dates.

Under cross examination, Williams accused the girl of lying to the court and suggested that she and her mother had set up a plan to destroy Adams because the mother wanted the house. He also asked the girl why she told the police January 16, 2008 was the first time that Adams had sex with her. She replied, “I was scared of him and afraid of what my mother would do if she found out.” “Miss you’re small. Sex is not a spectators’ game,” Williams stressed.

The counsel of over 30 years suggested that Adams was asleep when the girl came into his room and made advances on him.

Justice Bruce-Lyle asked her why did she stay at home when her mother asked her if she wanted to go to the neighbour’s? The girl said that she was not expecting Adams to do something like that to her again.

Before he even started giving his evidence, Adams took a look at the jury and said, “I did not have sex with the girl.” Adams said he got home around 5pm and had a Hairoun beer followed by Old Oak and Soursoup juice. The Jamaican-born man said he felt sleepy after consuming the drinks and went to his bed. “I had put on my pajamas and while dozing off, I felt someone jump onto the bed,” Adams revealed. He added that he felt an embrace from behind, which was followed by kissing on the forehead and cheek. “I was in a half-drunk state when she put her hand in my pajamas then pulled out my penis and then she put my hand at her vagina,” he explained. Shortly after, Adams said the girl’s mother came and said, “What the (expletive)?”

Adams mentioned that he and the girl’s mother had a rocky relationship and that he wanted to end the relationship, but stayed around because of their one-year-old child. He also said that the mother had attacked him with a cutlass previously in an argument about the house. “She was always singing this song “Bun him, tek the house and car and run him,” Adams said.

Justice Bruce-Lyle asked Adams why did he allow the girl to fondle him and not react immediately? Adams said he was in a half-drunk state and was in a daze. He admitted to the court that he gets drunk easily, even after having only one beer.

With a voice choked with emotions, Adams addressed the jury. His counsel Arthur Williams had withdrawn from representing him before the conclusion of the case. Adams said that he was telling the truth and stated that his accuser had plans of destroying him on January 16, 2008. “I am a former minister of the gospel and I was half-drunk at the time. My alertness was not there and the only thing I am guilty of here today is allowing her to fondle me,” Adams stated.

Adams was remanded to Her Majesty’s Prisons pending sentencing on May 29. Prosecutors Carl Williams and Joezel Jack led the crown’s case.