Basseterre, St. Kitts – A Newtown resident had his charge of unlawful carnal knowledge dropped after the 16-year-old victim pleaded with the court not to jail him, because the incident had resulted in the birth of a child.
Alvaro Christopher of Pitcairn Street, Newtown appeared this morning (Feb. 22) at the Basseterre Magistrate’s Court charged with the offence, but after listening to the victim’s request Magistrate Josephine Mallalieu-Webbe decided that the charge be dropped.
Prior to the magistrate’s pronouncement, the victim was asked to take the stand, from where she told the court that she did not want the case to proceed any further because Christopher is the father of the child she bore as a result of the incident.
The 16-year-old pleaded with the court not to send him to jail because she would be unable to properly maintain the baby.
A close relative of the victim, who has been caring for the child since its birth, also took the stand and was in support of the young mother’s request.
According to the facts presented in court, the offence was committed between February 1 and 28 of 2009, when the girl was a mere 15-year-old.
No one had reported the matter to the authorities, but the police got wind of it during an early morning operation in November 2010.
The court was told that members of the security forces had conducted an operation in the Newtown area in search of illegal drugs, firearms and ammunition, when they entered Christopher's home and found the teenager, who resides in Lime Kiln, in his bed.
Following investigations, Christopher was subsequently charged on Thursday, November 25, 2010.
