Man on trial for raping 12-year-old

The High Court heard testimony this week from a teenage complainant in a sexual assault case dating back to December 2021, when she was 12 years old.

Justice Ann Marie Smith is presiding over the trial, with the alleged victim appearing via video link from overseas to give evidence about incidents she claims occurred while staying at a family friend’s home.

The complainant, now residing off-island, told the court she had limited interaction with the defendant prior to the alleged incidents, describing their communication as brief exchanges of greetings.

In her testimony, she detailed two separate occasions when she alleges inappropriate contact occurred. The first incident allegedly happened during a weekend visit to the residence in December 2021.

The complainant described waking to find the accused in her room, initially touching her back before leaving. She testified he returned later and touched her inappropriately, causing her to feel frightened and use a pillow to shield herself.

The most serious allegations centre on an incident the complainant says occurred in the bathroom. She testified about being pulled from the shower and subsequently assaulted, despite her attempts to resist.

The victim told the court the accused instructed her to keep the incident secret when she threatened to tell her mother, describing his reaction as dismissive.