(DNO) A 43-year-old stepfather – Andrew Valmond – will spend the next eight years in jail after being found guilty by a five-woman, four-man jury of having sexual intercourse with his 13-year-old stepdaughter at the High Court of Justice yesterday.
Valmond had pleaded not guilty to the charges of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 14 and indecent assault on Monday.
Justice Birnie Stephenson-Brooks, before passing sentence, told the court that a message must be sent to similar offenders and or those who are contemplating committing such offenses.
She said that the court is mindful that such offenses are an increasing concern which is becoming quite prevalent in the Caribbean in which something must be done to protect children against such crimes.
“The young lady is not a stranger… She called you Daddy… She is part of the family… She trusted you. What you have done is amounts to what we in law call breach of trust…,” Justice Stephenson-Brooks told the convicted man.
This incident allegedly occurred between December 1-31, 2008.
The complainant, who took the stand on Monday, testified that her stepfather had had sex with her in a one-bedroom house that she, her mother and he lived.
“My step father told me to take out my clothes and he tell me to lie on the bed. He took off my panty. He came on me. He put his penis in my vagina and it was very painful… He was moving up and down when his penis was in my vagina… He did not stay long and he let go a white milky liquid on my vagina… He told me to put back on my clothes… I did not tell anyone because I was afraid,” the complainant testified.
According to the complainant, her stepfather had threatened to kill her if she told anyone about the alleged abuse.
According to prosecution witness – the doctor who examined the complainant following the report – there were several hymeneal destruction or tears in the opening of the girl’s vagina. The doctor testified that penile penetration was one of the more likely causes of the child’s hymen being ruptured.
The other three witness who took the stand for the state included, two police officers and the brother of the complainant who first made the report of the abuse.
In an un-sworn statement from the dock yesterday, the accused man said that he knew nothing about the accusations. He claimed that the whole issue came as a result of a family feud between he and his wife’s son.
However, lone witness for the defence – the accused man’s wife – who first denied knowing of any sexual relations between her daughter and her husband, said under cross-examination by state lawyer Wayne Norde that there was one instance when she had returned home and seen her daughter pulling up her panty through the room window.
When she asked her (the complainant) what had happened, her daughter said that her stepfather had sex with her. Her daughter had refused to go to visit the health center at that time.
According to the complainant’s mother, this incident occurred sometime in July 2008.
In mitigation, Valmond’s lawyer Peter Alleyne told the court that his client was the second of 10 children and a father of two teenagers.
“The prisoner appreciates that difficult position that the families have been placed in… For that he is sorry that all this come about because of him.. I am asking the court not to punish him for exercising his right to have a trial,” Alleyne said.
Valmond had no previous convictions.
According to the court, Valmond had been arrested in January 2009 following the incident then released on bail for a short time. He was then rearrested and granted bail again to be rearrested some time later.
He has since spent one and a half year on remand since the incident.
THIS MAN SHOULD GO TO JAIL FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE
SUCH A LOW LIFE SCUM BAG
THE MOTHER ALSO FAILED TO PROTECT HER DAUGHTER SHAME ON HER
i WOULD TIE HIS TWO BALLS TOGETHER AND HANG HIM UPSIDE DOWN
i WOULD HANG HIM BY HIS BOLLS,UPSIDE DOWN,AND HE WOULD NEVER NEVER NEVER FEEL A WOMAN IN HIS LIFE AGAIN.
they sud hang dat by it balls!!!!and d mother jus as wicked to. is wat ur child want to do or wat is right?
KARIBIK
you must be kidding me, are you such a low life, that you cannot get a gf or wife? Adult entertainment won’t suffice you, cause you got a dupe mind. It’s people like you parents have to keep their eyes on. ———PERVERT
Oh god de day a man lay his hands on my ten year old, I will deliver my own justice. She has a tight family circle where she is free to express herself. An important thing is be ur child’s confidant. Make it easy for her to be able to talk freely with u on any subject. I’m her mother first and I do not shy away from any subject she brings up and wants an explanation for. I always tell her its ok to talk to mammy about anything. And I’ve started doin the same with my five year old son. If I was that mother, yes I wud be in court, but a very diffrent reason!
Child Abus, incestal acts,rape etc etc have been going on for the longest time ever in our beautiful nature Island: Those acts might come out in the open if there is no fear. Shame and grief can condemn one to silence.
A woman in love will try to protect the man she loves even though deep down she know its wrong:She will only realise her mistake when and if she suddenly opens her eyes.
Those sick men should not only be put into prison, psychological help should also be given to them; Castration is another form of help to.
if no man try dat on my yout he better hope de police ketch him before me cause is a container of gas and matches and his @#$ on fire.
Some women deserve to be hung upside down. This woman is such a poor excuse of a mother. When women place themselves in a position wher a man has to support them, this is the shit they do. The pig is not the child’s father. You need to be extra vigilant. You saw the signs!! You knew, you knew, you knew!!! Yet you on a stand testifying for the defense!! Where is that child’s biological father? (IF she knows who it is!!)
There is a case where a pervert lured a 12 year old girl to his home by asking her to bring him a pencil. He raped her and told her if she told her mother she would be beaten. He mother subsequently found the blood stained clothing and the jackass was arrested. It was such a traumatic experience and yet the guy only spent two years in prison. Upon his release, he returned to the village. As soon as that girl laid eyes on him, those memories just flooded back and she lost it. At 15 years, the girl was crazy as a fox.
My child would not suffer twice. If she does is because her mother would be in jail!! We cry when people get proper sentences but look at what is the option. This woman did not protect her child. This woman does not love her child. This woman makes me sick. Now that he is in jail, I hope he feels twice as much pain as he incurred on her. And woman, go to work for your own money so you do not have to depend on perverts to support you!!! IDIOT!!
What kind of mother is this woman? She should also be prosecuted – to the fullest extent of the law (aiding and abettng). I am appalled at the legal system in D/ca. Eight years is a mere slap on the wrist.
Incidentally, I hope someone has seen it fit to get some sort of counseling for the child in question. She is scarred for life. May God help her!
To be honest when some of us make such comment about sharing our own personal feelings we need to have a look at our inner self. I would like the authorities to re-examine the event and ask some futher question . cause this man might not be the first. This whole thing should be conducted in school where the doctors should make it a point of duty to examine both gender to detect the student who have been engaged in sexual activities. there are people kissing girls as well as boys on their sex organ. Do we call this sexual activities also or love for the child.
I think a possible solution to abusing those child is to view the economic and social benefits of the sex service industry.If selling is legal then let the sex service industry be a viable one. we live in a democratic state then people should be able to chose their way of life and let the sex industry bloom. it will solve this child targeted problem. Know some people will comment but what we need to remember each of us has personal autonomy and we should have total responsibility for what we do. if we chose to buy sex it does not mean we ae pushing other into buying it. it will help some of us with beauty deficit who can’t have a gf or wife find a way to satisfy our human desire
SHUT UP U DIRTY CHILD MOLESTER U SOUND LIKE U WERE TURNED ON BY THE STORY GO HANG UR SELF FOOL
8 years!! What a joke!! Bring on Behanzin!! The scum who raped the young girl was not related to her and probably a pervert who targeted the mother to bide his time till he got what he wanted, which was probably his plan from the beginning. The mother admitted through her evidence given in court she previously, while looking through a window, saw her daughter pulling up her panties and did not report it to Police when her daughter told her the step-father had sex with her. As she was part of the defence for her husband, who has now been found guilty, surely the mother should be charged with aiding and abetting Rape.
AGREE WITH YOU! AGAIN SHE DID NOT WANT TO KILL THE GOOSE THAT LAYS THE EGGS!
MISTA IS A SICK MAN CUT HIS B***S OF MAN
Lord help us, 8yrs man what nonsence i hearing there, that BASTARD should be put away for a long time…Soon the eight yrs is over and that child has to live with this for the rest of her life. The system in Dominica needs changing… Mister is worse than the common dog on the street to do something like that to his stepdaughter, i wonder what he was thinking when he was doing that to the child.. It’s time they invent a drug so that when those big men do things like that to these little girls they can give it to them so there PENIS can never raise again….
The mother needs to be taught a lesson also, send her to jail for the same amount of time the man goes to jail. Someone violates your child regardless of who the hell he is you call the police and if the police does not take action you take action yourself. What kind of mother are you? Do you love the man more than your child rethink the situation and remember you have to live with that for the rest of your life mamam marat.
To CHILD, I totally agree with you. I did the same with my kids today they all over 20 and if I want a man and can get one. But when they were small me and them alone. Because I tell you, when, it comes to that child molestation thing, I turn beast and devoure whoever mess with my child
Only 8 years, so that telling other men its ok. So if they do it, they too will only get 8. But I have news for all you because if its my child, I would be ging to prison not them. And an example would be set so other men will know if they do that what to expect from mothers. DAM the system sucks!!!!!
I always thank GOD thing like that didnt happen to my kids, because I tell you, I dont think when its soemthing like that. I just do what i ahve to do. If you have a tool and have no use for it and puting it in wrong hole, well i will cut it and make you an example for other men to see. PRISON ME THEN I dont care, but you woint hurt another kids
HE NEEDS 25 TO LIFE… STRAIGHT UP
WHEN YOU TRUST PEOPLE WITH YOUR CHILDREN, (NOT MEN ONLY) AND THEY ABUSE THAT TRUST, THEY SHOULD PAY HEAVY, AND FOR THE MOTHERS WHO KNOWS THAT THEIR CHILDREN BEEN ABUSED, AND KEEP QUIATE TO SAVE FACE, THEY TOO SHOULD BE MADE TO ANSWER, TOO OFTEN AS A SUPPORT WORKER I HAVE COME ACROSS THESE THINGS HAPPENING, CHILDREN SHOULD BE LEFT TO GROW AT THEIR OWN PACE, AND NO BE MOLESTED BY THESE (PODOS) IF YOU ARE ARE CHILD AND YOU HAVE BEEN ABUSED YOU SHOULD COMPLAIN TO THE POLICE AND DON’T LET ANYONR TELL YOU ANYHING ELSE. THERE SHOULD BE A SPECIAL CHILDREN LINE SET UP SO THAT CHILDREN CAN CALL WITHOUT FEAR OF REPRISALS TO REPORT THESE ABUSES.
man am telling you,where is the justice for the victim,what is happening to my Dominican men,why don’t they find some grown a… woman to mess with.leave people children alone.as other countries have a lot of murders our own have nasty man raping children.
PM please pass harder laws for such crimes.I beg
I am curious though….It states that the incident in question occurred during the period Dec. 1-31; but the mother confronted the daughter about the actions she saw through the window sometime in July. This is when she admitted to what her stepdad did. So why was this man still in a position to take advantage of this innocent child. It sounds like the mother is at fault also. You have to protect your child.
ok DNO you have is name but we need to see his picture too
8 years alone? magrasa!!! mister should get 25 years then maybe the others that doing the same will learn and stop raping our young girls.
@ Leroy, hope you don’t have any girls/boys. As you mentioned maybe wrong timing. These pedifiles need the maximum penalty.
DOMINICA WILL ALWAYS REMAIN A SAFE HAVEN FOR CRIMINALS…HE SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN A STIFFER SENTENCE..AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE WORRIED ABOUT HIS IDENTITY,WELL WE KNOW HIS NAME D/CA IS SMALL SO PEOPLE WILL KNOW WHO HE IS ..AND I HOPE THEY MAKE IT THEIR DUTY TOO…
FRIGGING IGNORANT PEOPLE IN OUR MIX…KIDS BEING MOLESTED CONSTANTLY IN D/CA..ALL KINDS OF ABUSE ALL BECAUSE OF SOME PARENTS DON’T WANNA BE ALONE OR TOO SELFISH SATIFYING YOUR OWN SEXUAL NEEDS OR WHATEVER OTHER NEEDS INSTEAD OF PUTING YOUR KIDS FIRST…WHAT ABOUT THE SONG OF MICHAEL JACKSON,I BELIEVE THE CHILDREND ARE OUT FUTURE..GO LISTEN TO THAT…
DISAPPOINTED..I HOPE THE JUDGE HAVE A PLAN FOR THAT YOUNG GIRL AND A MOM…AND I HOPE HER PLAN IS TO HELP HER BUILD SELF ESTEEM UP,AND HELP HE CONTINUE HER EDUCATION THAT SOMEDAY SHE CAN BECOME A VOICE TO OUR SOCIETY…..BABY GIRL I DON’T KNOW YOU,BUT GOD HAS GREATER PLANS FOR YOU….FIGHT FOR KIDS FIGHT TO STOP THE ABUSE!!!
PROTECT YOUR KIDS NOT YOUR MEN!!
i have a 14 year old daughter and me and her father split when she was just 5 and i can tell you that i know that i am going to die single because i don’t want no man raising her with me (the only man she seen in our bedroom is her father )i am not saying that i am an angel but i take my man some other place ,no man not sleeping in our home
i agree 1000 percent with you
I agree with you sister-1000%
In response to “XPLAIN’S ” question.
If the alleged crime is in the process of being investigated or tried in the court then the media is responsible to withhold the identities of both the defendant and the victim. The defendant has not officially been found guilty of commiting the act in question and as such is innocent until then. Revealing his/her identity before judgement is passed is a violation of his/her privacy and can lead to unncessary lawsuit.
He don’t need prison! He need to HANG!!!!
What a shame. What is going on with men? Alas! So many women out there. Why choose a child and much less someone who trusts and looks up to you? Maybe if those committing such henous crimes were castrated they’d think twice before . Selfish animals.
8 years alone! these men nowadays too nasty. but i have a littele sister and d man that touch her too he will be eating his wood for supper because it will be cut off then cooked. Parents please look after ur kids, dont trust daddy muchless for step-daddy them man cannot control themselves. they does think because dem children looking all round and sweet they ready for life. Poor innocent children have to face this for d remander of their lives..
We need to introduce public punishment. Have homosexuals take turns on those male pieces of shit – les ban prostitute
Hello! Leave gay men out of it ! We not scavengers that will feast on all you rubbish!
but u all are rubbish going after s..!!
eradicate all homo’s the lord hate boggarism,read leviticus 18;18
After reviewing this case the secound time, I come to the conclusion that the conviction of the Defendant came by no supprised, because in cases like that the Jury tend to send a message to other offenders that you better think twice.
However, there should be concern when it comes to such approach.
The question in this case is whether the prosecution proved their case beyond the reasonable doubt. The Plaintiff clearly demonstrate to the Court how the events took place that is conviencing, and in most casese the Court, or the jury depend on the victim testimony inorder to convict are person. How ever, the Doctor who testified on behalf of the prosecution raise a red flag. I don’t know how the defense question the Doctor on the stand, but his word in this article is questionable, for example, The Doctor testify by saying ” There were several hymenal destriction tears in the opening of the girl’s vagina.” The defense should ask the Doctor did he or any other expert conducted a DNA test on the Defendant? that show’s 99.9% of the result is the Defendant in this case. Secondly was there any evidence provided to the Court beside the doctor’s testimony, such as the girl underware, again to proved that the Defendant commited this crime. The mother testimony should not be trusted, because she was covering for some-body and neither the defense, or the prosecution know who she is protecting. The Guilty verdict in this case clearly shows that the jury believe the Plaintiff’s testimony. In my opinion if the Jury found him guilty it means that the plaintiff conviences them that she is speaking the truth.
Again I just want you to note that the Judicial System in Dominica is just one sided. I know that this is not the right time to bring up that point.However, when we compare other crimes in Dominica espically murder, we must believe that the Court System seems to lean on the far right of the left. For Years the Court fails to convict a person who kills another person in Dominica. If we can get a jury that can convict a person of having sex with a child why can’t we find one to convict those person who kill’s why can’t we take them out of the street for good, is this not our duty as juries, prosecution and the Court responsibilities.
I hope my comment will not cause any friction or harm to any-one, but I would like to see Dominica be safe again, that Dominican can return to Dominica and have no fear of their life.
Leroy
TO LEROY,
In response to your question, the doctor said there were hymenial tears leaving the hymen in a shape of a quarter moon meanin that the child was no longer a virgin. seeing that the child was brought to the hospital in january….where as the incident happened in december there was no way of finding appropriate DNA.
Note that the Defendant in his unsworn testimony has never denied he had sex with the child other than attacking police officers statements. It is the job of the prosecutor to convince the Jury of the Defendants guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. What swung the case is the error of the defense to put the mother on the stand when clearly the prosecution could see that her testimony was co-ersed. Only when she was cross-emaxined did she reveal certain information that may have swung the Jury’s verdict in that case. Yes she was covering for EVERYONE but in the end she had no choice but to speak the truth…..you must understand that the mother is put in a very fragile situation. The defense should have kept her off the stands
Why do you go rambling on and on in the name of commenting? You confuse the issues on a number of occasions! I am in the United Kingdom (not a Dominican but from the Caribbean) and always come on this site to keep abreast of what’s going on in the country. Really, your comments do amaze me, well sometimes anyway.
This a very sad to read, but it seems to be a trend in Dominica, some men in Dominica seems to enjoy being with kids, thats a shame, this only distroy these young people, let the young girls grow up please stop being preditors on the young girls in Dominica. The police needs to get working on all those kids who go to clubs at nights with these grown men and drink like they are grown ups, we need some kind of identification system so when the cops stop them with these men they could lock up these men who are taking these young girls out, at list this could be a start that its not tollerated to be with a child in this country. get serious on them preditors.
that fool need to be put away for the rest of his life dam it he know’s better than that why not used his tool on his wife instead of the girl.
i am appealin to all mothers, trust no one with yr children, esp; thoes who r close to the family. Don’t leave yr children unattened at any time, cause that’s the opportunity that is left for a lot of destruction.My heart goes out to the family of the victim, be courageous.
he should be asked to compensate the child… if he has a piece of land or any monies in the bank etc., it should be given to the child.
Why? All that would not restore her hymen!!! He just needed 18years instead of 8. Do you realize the magnitude of what he’s done? My God!. Such an innocent child. I hope the woman divorces him as well. A stinking, dirty bastard!!.
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The should start iwtht he mother an…. A woman cannot, in anylifetime, choose a man over her child. That thing do deserve to call herself a mother. You seeing the child pulling up her panty and telling you what happen and still goig and testify for the man? Jah you alone that know cause that man would have eaten his thing for supper that same night eh. His sentence was not enough. But my main focus is the mother, she should have been senteced as well for child neglect, endangerment of a minor, and pure stupidity, selfishness and the unlawful right to call herself a woman and a mother. What a disgrace!
Them man there too nasty. The judge used the crime control perspective in sentencing him but I don’t think this is the max he could have gotten. I look forward to the ay when castration becomes an option when sentences for such a crime is handed down. Hopefully, the hymen in his rectum will be forcefully ruptured during his 8 years vacation at Charter’s House.
maximum for such a crime is 25yrs
How comes this man’s name is reveal for all the world to see? but when we were asking before, why the names are not given, we were told by DNO and others that the names are withheld in order to protect the child or victim. what is different in this case, is there no victim to be protected? No child involve? Please explain this gross inconsistency. It was always “a certain man from the east,west, north or south”
While the trial is going on it’s against the law to publish any names associated with the case to the public. After the trial is over, the name of the accused can be published but the victim’s name is still withheld!
Cut his wood off
Men are bringing down our standards of our society. They have no respect for their homes, their wives or their kids. This is distasteful and I believe our laws need to be reviewed. Castrate all men who rape!!!!!
Its time they take away their tools…castrate them then they wont have no penis to use on those innocent young girls. Jail time not gonna do anything he gonna come out and do it all over again with some other innocent child..
8 alone!!!!!….. sakway toneh
I would jail and castrate him and jail the mother also.
Only 8 years and someone got to deal with it for the rest of her life.
This DOG should be CASTRATED. Eight years is a joke. Soon he will get out and do the same thing.I have one daughter and god knows that I would have been the one in Jail. Leave little children alone PLEASE