By: Spokesman Newsroom
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Friday 5th April 2019)-To date, two mean have been charged by police regarding two separate sexual violence incidents involving a teenager and a child, and members of the public have been questioning why the identities of the accusers are not known after being charged by police.
A source at the police public relations department has given a reminder that there is an Act which protects the names of the victims and the accusers from being released. To this end, however, unless an accuser has been convicted at the court, his/her information cannot be publicised while the victim’s identity remains protected.
Such legal framework is extended to news reporting also as reporters have to their part in responsible reporting as it relates to crimes of such sensitive nature, and most recently the relevant information surrounding the act was disseminated to members of the media in 2018 in light of a highly controversial matter in the public domain which saw fingers being pointed as a particular official regarding an alleged incident.
Regarding the most recent incidents, one week after the teenage female was raped on Saturday 23rd March, police say a man from the Basseterre area was charged on Saturday 30th March.
In the other matter, local authorities have reported that a man from the western side of the island has been charged for three (3) counts of Unlawful Carnal Knowledge and one (1) count of Indecent Assault for incidents involving a minor.
He was charged on Saturday 30 March also.
In relation to the teen victim, the incident reportedly occurred in the Basseterre area sometime after 8 PM on the day in question.
Preliminary reports indicate that the assailant was following the young lady and forced her to a vacant lot of land where he assaulted her.
