Two days after twenty eight year old Winston Sharshante was acquitted
of raping an eleven year old girl, today her mother spoke out. As we reported,
he was found not guilty by a jury of five women and four men on Monday after
a medical examination proved that the child was carnally known and the girl’s
mother told the court she caught him in the act. And while what happens in the
court is one thing, equally disturbing is that since the incident on the night
of September second the child’s mother claims her daughter who is presently
in the care of Human Services reportedly has not received any form of counselling.
Today the child’s mother spoke with Jacqueline Godwin about what
she says happened on the night her daughter was raped and the not guilty verdict.
She also made a desperate appeal to all single mothers in the hope that they
will not have to experience what she and her eleven year old are now fighting
to forget. The mother of four children ages four to fourteen today cried out
for justice. To protect the minor’s identity, we concealed her face.
Jacqueline Godwin,
“Do you believe that he did this to get back at you because the reports
we have been receiving are that earlier that night you and this man had gone
out to drink and he left for a time to go and buy more beers and returned and
you were not there and he headed home, saw you talking to a man, who he allegedly
beat up, and some time after that he ended up at your home and raped your daughter?”
Mother of Rape Victim,
“Well the raping did happen but that I was drinking, that’s
a lie. He and his friends was drinking by the park and yes he told me I will
go and buy and I asked what, I asked him like three times and then he said I
will go and buy weed. Then he left, I waited a while, I would 15 to half an
hour and he wasn’t back in the park and then I went home and I told my
friend I am leaving. When I reached home I opened my door, I went into the kitchen,
went into the room, look at my daughter’s bed, she was not there. The
bathroom door was open, I looked in there, she was not there. When I pulled
the curtain I saw Winston Sharshante completely naked on top of my daughter.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
“From what I understand, he actually pulled your 11 year old girl at knifepoint,
dragged her into your bedroom, and raped her.”
Mother of Rape Victim,
“That is what she said.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
“Were you in court the day when the jury announced their verdict?”
Mother of Rape Victim,
“No mam, I was home where I live and they called and they told me.
I was so disappointed because I cannot find how come they set him free when
my daughter gave her evidence and I said what I saw. I cannot understand how
he is out there. I need to come to the bottom to what exactly happened there
because I don’t think these nine come to the same conclusion. I don’t
know if they don’t believe me, they don’t believe my daughter or
what but I am asking them what happened. I need answers what happened because
everything was in their hands and I need answers from them.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
“How is your daughter doing and have you been able to explain to her what
happened in court?”
Mother of Rape Victim,
“Well at this point I haven’t told her nothing but I will make
professionals talk to her because I will visit the counselling center and make
a counsellor deal with this and talk to her because I cannot do it, as a mother
I cannot do it, I don’t know how to tell her so I just hope that someone
can help me with the counselling.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
“And as a single mom, I was once there too so I know, we must try very
hard to continue on with our lives. What advice do you have for single moms
out there who are mothers of young daughters like your child when they are looking
to date an individual?”
Mother of Rape Victim,
“Please look very very carefully because you never can know who will
harm your kids, never because with this person, I never thought, never in my
mind thought he was going to do something like this to my daughter. To those
single mothers please put a hard and a straight eyes on your kids, especially
your daughters because it is something that a mom shouldn’t go through,
it is very hard.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
“I don’t know how long you’ve known this guy and you stated
that during that period he showed no signs that this would have occurred but
do you feel guilty in any way, do you feel responsible for what occurred. Do
you feel that you should have protected your 11 year old from being rape?”
Mother of Rape Victim,
“In one way I feel guilty but in another I would have never thought
so…..I could say one way I feel guilty but in another way no but I should
have opened my eyes….”
The minor is now fourteen years old. Remarkably the accused Winston
Sharshante not only defended himself but went up against two crown counsels.
But while he was able to free himself from the charge of carnal knowledge, he
remains behind bars at the Belize Central Prison where he is serving a three
month sentence for seven hundred and fifty five dollars in maintenance he owes
to the Family Court. Sharshante is also serving another seven months for a conviction
of grievous harm.
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