Thirty-two-year-old Mark Samuels who was found guilty last month of raping a 13-year-old girl, was on Thursday sentenced to life for the offence. Samuels was sentenced by High Court Judge, Justice Navindra Singh at the Demerara Sexual Offences Court.
According to reports, on January 27, 2021, Samuels touched the girl inappropriately before raping her. After she was raped, the child told her mother and the matter was reported to the police.
At the hearing, the judge sentenced Samuels to life imprisonment, adding that he is only eligible for parole after serving 30 years behind bars.
The victim impact statement was also read to the court. The child told the court that what Samuels did to her has scarred her and changed her life significantly. The victim, who is now 16, told the court that Samuels took her confidence away before calling him “dirt.”
For his part, Samuels pleaded with the court to be lenient with him, after saying that he is sorry for what happened. He begged Justice Singh to impose a light sentence so that he can be able to be a part of his two minor daughters’ life.
However, in response, Justice Singh asked Samuels “How can you be sorry for something you claim you did not commit?”
The judge added that he thinks Samuels would clearly say anything to secure his freedom. It should be noted that according to Samuels’ probation report, he maintained his innocence of the crime. Justice Singh then sentenced Samuels to life imprisonment.
In this matter, the state was represented by Tiffini Lyken.