Four of the eight cases brought before the High Court at the opening of the February Assizes involve sex crimes, an alarming problem in the territory, according to prosecutors.
Several defendants were arraigned Tuesday morning, including Raymond Harrison, Nathaniel Malone, and Sylon “Sly” Forbes, who are all accused of rape.
Mr. Malone is also charged with indecent assault and having sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 16. He and Mr. Forbes pleaded not guilty to the charges against them on Tuesday before Justice Nicola Byer, a Barbados native who recently presided over the Civil Court.
During the previous assizes, which ended in December, Principal Crown Counsel Tiffany Scatliffe noted the high number of sex cases that were passing though the courts: Of the 15 cases on the list, 13 involved sexual offences.
The first case scheduled to be heard in this assizes is that of Elrys Todman, of Belmont, who pleaded not guilty to burglary. Mr. Todman allegedly broke in to a home and stole $6,536 worth of items, according to prosecutors. His trial is scheduled to begin today.
See the Feb. 6, 2014 edition for full coverage.
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