In 2012, a girl moved to the Virgin Islands. Her mother had recently fallen ill, so she was sent to live with her aunt and her aunt’s son, according to allegations read Monday in Magistrates’ Court.
In June 2017, when the aunt’s son was 19, he walked into his mother’s room where the girl was watching television, Crown Counsel Melissa Brewley alleged.
The man — who is now facing a charge of having sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 16 — walked over to the then-underage girl and grabbed her chest, Ms. Brewley stated.
‘“Where’d you get these breasts from?”’ he allegedly asked, the prosecutor told the court.
After being further harassed, the girl got up and went to her room, but the man followed shortly after, according to Ms. Brewley.
The man — whose name is being withheld by the Beacon to protect the alleged victim’s identity— told the girl “he wanted to do something” with her, but she rejected this idea and he left her temporarily alone, the prosecutor said.
When he returned, the girl was lying on her bed and he was wearing only shorts, Ms. Brewley alleged. He walked over to the bed, removed the girl’s clothing, and engaged in intercourse while she tried to resist, according to the Crown’s allegations.
That night, the girl called her mother to tell her what the man had done, the prosecutor said.
Police report
A VI police officer “became aware of a report” about the complainant and the defendant on June 13, but the defendant’s mother already knew about the girl’s complaint by that time, Ms. Brewley alleged.
When the officer spoke to the aunt, she informed the officer that she did not feel the need to notify police, as the matter concerned family members, the prosecutor said.
According to the Crown, the aunt said that “she had busted them behinds” upon hearing about her son’s alleged actions.
Ms. Baptiste DaBreo asked, “This is the young lady’s aunt?”
Answering her own question, she said, “I know it is: I had to say it out loud.”
Police continued investigations into the case, and the complainant was eventually relocated out of the jurisdiction, said Ms. Brewley, who did not provide the girl’s name or age in court.
Continuation of trial
Ms. Baptiste DaBreo gave the defendant a $40,000 bail offer with signed sureties and a clause that forbids him from contacting the complainant.
His case will go to High Court for committal Nov. 20, Ms. Baptiste DaBreo said.
After he was excused from the courthouse, Ms. Baptiste DaBreo said parents ought to educate children about sex.
If the subject is not addressed, she said, young people will not know how to properly behave when sex becomes a part of their life, which can prompt them to treat themselves poorly or abuse others.
“It is very important for parents to sit down with their kids and explain ‘the birds and the bees,”’ she said, adding, “We seem to think that if it is ignored it won’t happen.”