After an uncle pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting his five-year-old niece on four occasions, State Counsel Eleazar Williams argued that the man should face consecutive rather than concurrent sentences for the offences.Making his submission before Justice Pamela Beckles in the No. 5 Supreme Court, the prosecutor pointed out that with five years being the maximum for the offence, when the various deductions are taken into account, the man would only serve 24 months in prison.Earlier this year, the convicted man pleaded guilty to assaulting the child between January 1 and June 22, 2019. He was 26 at the time.Pointing to the impact the acts have had on the child, Williams outlined that the child now suffers from nightmares, has lost interest in school and other activities and has begun telling lies frequently.Williams stated that in being in a position of trust, the uncle manipulated the child by telling her that if she told anyone what was happening, it would mean that she did not love him and noted that the assaults took place in the child’s home where she should have felt “safe and protected”.
