The Special Criminal Court yesterday convicted one Andrew Van Roy, a Dutch national, who was standing trial on charges of rape, defilement, seduction and indecent act.
The trial judge in delivering his judgment told the court that the convict was charged with four counts of indecent assault and two counts of rape, which he has denied.
He added that the prosecution called 17 witnesses and tendered several exhibits in support of their case, while the defence called two witnesses, adding that the witnesses called by the prosecution were credible, and their testimonies corroborated each other.
Still in his judgment, the judge stated that the prosecution witnesses had laid direct evidence against the convicted person, and that the prosecution had proven their case beyond all reasonable doubts.
The accused person was consequently convicted and sentenced as follows: on all six counts, he was fined D100,000 in default to serve ten years in prison with hard labour.
The convicted person was also ordered to pay a compensation of D100,000 to the two victims each in default to serve another ten years in prison with hard labour.
According to the particulars of offence on count one, in 2008, at Tintinto village in the West Coast Region, the accused person had canal knowledge of an under-age girl.
Count two stated that, between 2010 and 2011 at Tintinto village in the West Coast Region, the accused had canal knowledge of an under-age girl.
Count three stated that between 2008 and 2011, at Tintinto village in the West Coast Region, the accused caused the seduction of a fifteen-year-old girl.
The charge sheet on count four stated that Andrew Van Roy, between 2010 and 2011 at Tintinto village in West Coast Region, caused the seduction of a 15-year-old girl.
According to the particulars of offence on count five, between 2009 and 2011 at Tintinto village in the West Coast Region, the accused exposed his genital organ to an under-age girl.
And six stated that between 2010 and 2011 at Tintinto village in the West Coast Region, the accused exposed his genital organ to an under-age girl.
