45-year-old Selwyn Lancaster of Linden was this morning sentenced to two separate terms of imprisonment, one for raping a six-year-old girl, and another for engaging in sexual activity with her.
According to the first charge, on October 8, 2018, Lancaster engaged in sexual penetration with a 6-year-old girl.
The other charge stated that on November 6, 2018, he engaged in sexual activity with the same girl by touching her vagina.
On the rape charge, he was sentenced to serve 15 years’ imprisonment. He was handed a seven years jail sentence on the sexual assault charge.
Trial Judge Simone Morris-Ramlall ordered that the two sentences run concurrently.
The rape convict had been on trial before Justice Morris-Ramlall and a 12 person jury at the High Court in Demerara.
In relation to both charges, the jury had returned unanimous verdicts.
Based on reports, Lancaster exposed himself to the young child and forced his penis into her mouth and touched her vagina before fleeing. He was later arrested and charged.
Following the jury’s verdict, the trial Judge had inquired of Lancaster if he had anything to say.
Lancaster replied: “I really don’t have anything to say.”
The rape survivor, through a Probation Officer, expressed that she still feels sad and gets angry any time she sees Lancaster.
She added, “My head hurts. I feel sad because of what he did to me. I don’t trust some people anymore. I want Selwyn to go to jail because of what he did to me.”
Justice Morris-Ramlall, in handing down the sentences took the following into consideration: the nature of the offence and circumstances under which it occurred, the tender age of the child and the fact that Lancaster betrayed the child as he was known to her family.
