Twenty-year-old Gabriella Allen, who was found guilty in February of the offence of rape of a child under the age of 16, has been sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment for the crime.
Allen, otherwise known as “Gabby”, had been on trial for the offence before Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry and a mixed 12-member jury at the Sexual Offences Court in Demerara. She was initially charged in December 2021, and following proceedings in the Magistrate’s Court, she was committed to stand trial at the Demerara Criminal Assizes.
This publication is not privy to the circumstances under which the young girl was molested. Allen, who had pleaded not guilty, was convicted by the jury, which returned a unanimous guilty verdict. The offence for which she was indicted is contrary to Section 10 (1) of the Sexual Offences Act.
According to this section, an accused person commits the offence of rape of a child under 16 years of age if the accused (a) engages in sexual penetration with the complainant or (b) causes the complainant to engage in sexual penetration with a third party.
The Sexual Offences Act defines penetration as any intrusion, however slight and for however short a time, of any part of a person’s body by any object inserted into the vagina or anus of another person; and any contact, however slight and for however short a time, between the mouth of one person and the genitals or anus of another, including but not limited to sexual intercourse, cunnilingus, fellatio, anal intercourse, and female-to-female genital contact.
The verdict was delivered on February 22 but the felon’s sentencing hearing was adjourned to facilitate the compilation of certain social reports.
Having been convicted, her bail was revoked and she was remanded to prison.
In a victim impact statement, the rape survivor’s mother shared that the incident has affected her child psychologically, resulting in changes in her behaviour, including her constantly touching her vagina. She said she leaves her daughter only with her mother, because she does not trust anyone to care for her.
Meanwhile, during an interview with a Senior Probation Officer, Allen related that she was physically and verbally abused by her mother while growing up. She shared that as a result of the bad treatment at home, she dropped out of school at age 15, and ran away from home.
In relation to the sex offender’s attitude toward the offence, the Probation Officer told the court that she has continued to maintain her innocence, and claimed that she was “set up”.
Reports state that Allen was first charged with the crime on August 18, 2021, and when she appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, she was remanded to prison. She was eventually granted cash bail pending the hearing and determination of her trial.
According to reports, Allen was arrested on August 15, 2021 after a rape allegation was made against her to the Police, prompting an investigation to be launched.
Prior to her incarceration, Allen was employed at a daycare centre.
The now-convicted woman was represented by Attorney-at-Law Adrian Thompson, while Attorneys-at-Law Simran Gajraj, Latifah Elliot and Rbina Christmas prosecuted the matter
