Three rapists were sent to jail yesterday for a total of 146 years with hard labour after they were found guilty of kidnapping and raping a 30-year-old woman four years ago.
By Keino SwamberIn passing sentence in the First Assize Court in San Fernando, Justice Melville Baird said gang rape is on the increase.
"It is becoming prevalent," he said.
"Women are justifiably concerned for their safety. It is deplorable that women must walk the streets looking over their shoulders at every turn, scurrying to their homes like scared rabbits as darkness falls. It is distressing that women have to live under self curfews."
Justice Baird added that it was incumbent upon the court to send a firm message to potential gang rapists "waiting in the wings for an opportunity to pounce".
Kevin Boyce, 27, a car assembler, 27-year-old welder Otis Samuel, and Thomas Austin, 37, were found guilty of kidnapping, rape, serious indecency and serious assault by a nine-member jury on December 1.
Austin was found guilty on an additional charge of attempted buggery.
They were represented by attorneys Mewahlal Chatoor, Dawn Mohan and Ernest Koylass, respectively.
Commenting on the sentences passed, Koylass said an appeal will be filed on behalf of his client (Austin) today.
The evidence, as led by State attorney Narissa Ramsundar, is that the woman and her boyfriend were arguing on the morning of February 17, 2000.
As they were about to leave, a silver Mazda 323 pulled up behind them.
Boyce and Samuel approached the couple on either side of their vehicle. The woman was dragged into the Mazda, driven by Austin, and her boyfriend was placed in the trunk.
The vehicle was driven to a secluded road in Couva, where the woman was raped by the three men.
The men fled the scene leaving the couple tied up in a canefield.
The victims managed to free themselves and make their way to the Couva Police Station, where they made a report to Sgt Irwin McLean (now retired).
Boyce and Samuel, who both have previous convictions, were each sentenced to 30 years with hard labour for the rape, five years with hard labour for the serious indecency, five years with hard labour for the indecent assault and 15 years with hard labour for the kidnapping.
Austin, who had no previous convictions, was sentenced to serve 20 years with hard labour for the rape, two years with hard labour on each count of serious indecency, serious assault and attempted buggery, and ten years with hard labour for the kidnapping.
All the sentences are to run concurrently.
"When a man rapes a woman, that woman is traumatised physically and psychologically," Justice Baird said.
"Both her body and her mind are violated. And although the physical injuries might heal in time, the psychological devastation can continue for years, even to her death.
"It would be difficult to bring before the imagination the anguish and distress a woman suffers when she is raped by a man. If this is so, what then would be her position if she is raped consecutively by several men?" the judge asked.
