Corentyne contractor freed of rape charge

A Corentyne contractor was acquitted of a charge of rape following a trial at the Berbice High Court on Thursday.

Dexter Philadelphia, also known as “Dexter Clarke”, 51, of Number 51 Village, Corentyne, appeared before Justice Deborah Kumar-Chetty in relation to an allegation involving a minor.

The court heard that the allegation stemmed from an incident said to have occurred on August 6, 2016, in Berbice. At the time, Philadelphia was reportedly residing in Fyrish Village. He denied the allegation.

Philadelphia was represented by Attorney-at-Law Kevin Morgan of the Guyana Legal Aid Clinic, while State Prosecutor Marisa Edwards presented the case for the prosecution.

According to the prosecution, the complainant was at home alone on the day in question when inappropriate contact was made with the alleged victim. The matter was brought to light several months later, on February 22, 2017.

The court was told that the child was subsequently taken for medical evaluation at the New Amsterdam Public Hospital. The medical findings were presented as part of the evidence during the trial.

During testimony, the child’s mother stated that her daughter had spoken about the incident but initially wished to keep the matter private. Under cross-examination, discrepancies were raised regarding details contained in the child’s police statement.

A Police Sergeant who recorded the complaint testified that only one alleged incident had been formally documented. After hearing evidence from both sides and receiving directions from the judge, the jury retired to deliberate.

They later returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty, resulting in Philadelphia being cleared of the charge.