An over two-year jail sentence, imposed by Justice Wynante Adrien-Roberts on a 22-year-old Woodford Hill man on a sex-related charge, has been suspended.
Ronnie Cameron Peters who pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual connection on March 16, 2022, against a female minor, appeared before the court today, June 15, 2022, for sentencing.
The facts of the case state that on October 28, 2019, at Portsmouth, Peters was accompanying the then 14-year-old girl home when he pinned her to the back of a dump truck, placed his hand under her skirt, and inserted his finger into her vagina.
The minor told Peters to stop and said to him, “long time I know you are a rapist,” to which he replied, “long time I want to rape you.”
She attempted to walk away but he pulled her across the street into a burnt concrete building. There, she started to scream but Peters placed his hand over her mouth and threatened to kill her. At some point during the attack, he placed his hand around her neck while her feet dangled from the floor.
She bit him before escaping and he proceeded to follow her apologizing for what he did and constantly repeating, “why did I do that,” begging her to not report the incident to anyone.
On arrival home, she told her aunt what had happened and the police were summoned. She was then taken to a medical doctor for examination who reported that despite the incident her hymen was still intact.
At today’s sentencing hearing, Justice Adrien-Roberts said the court had ordered a social inquiry report and a psychiatric report which were used in constructing her sentence.
She said due to the fact that there was some level of violence and threat during the offense, the matter fell in category two, high.
Judicial authorities set the maximum penalty for the offense of unlawful sexual connection at 14-years imprisonment. However, Justice Adrien-Roberts established a starting point of 45% of the max sentence – 6 years, 3months and 18 days.
In adjusting her sentence, Justice Adrien- Roberts said an aggravating factor which went against the offender was the fact that he had prior convictions. She also stated that consideration must be given to the victim who once trusted Peters as they were good friends and is now emotionally scarred from the incident and is frightened whenever she sees him.
An additional six months was added to his sentence which then stood at 6 years, 9 months and 18 days.
The sentence was however reduced by two years as the Judge said Peters had demonstrated a level of remorse for his actions and stated to the social welfare officer that he would apologize to the minor if he was given an opportunity to.
The fact that he had admitted to the offense and stated moments after that he regretted his decision also went in his favor.
For his guilty plea, Peters was also afforded a reduction of one third of his sentence which then stood at 3 years and 2 months and 18 days. An additional four months was removed for time spent on remand.
Both counsel for the accused, attorney-at-law Peter Alleyne, and State attorney, Daina Matthew, recommended a suspended jail sentence.
While Justice Adrien-Roberts said the nature of the offense warrants a custodial sentence, she averred that consideration was given to the fact Peters is a father to six-month-old baby girl, the sole bread winner of his family and the one of the caretakers of his mother who had suffered two strokes.
She opined that his family would be further impoverished if he is to serve the 2 years 10 month and 18 days sentence handed down by the court.
The judge further told the court that based on the social inquiry report, it was noted that since the 22-year-old was charged for the offense, members of his community noted a change in his behavior hence she stated he was not a risk to the community and the victim.
“This is the second chance that you asked for, you will not get a third one,” Justice Adrien-Roberts cautioned Peters. “What you did to the young lady was terrible; she trusted you and you broke that trust.”
She added, “It is about time that the abuse against women and children must stop. You got off lightly but you won’t be so lucky next time.”
Is either we want to punish these kinds of offense or not.
So what would have happened to this girl if she didn’t got away? Dominica is the way it is because these judges and police are not doing their jobs correctly. Men will keep assaulting women and children because they know they can get away with it. You’re worried about this man what about the affect this will have on the young girl? Did you think of that? He never thought about his sick mother and baby when he did what he did so why are you worried about them for him? This system is corrupted, its about time the people step up and make this country better. What if the girl dad decides to take the matter into his own hand? What would happen then? He was wrong therefore should pay for his actions..the people in this country get away with too much and it looks like they know the people because i know of others thats sleeping in jail for similar actions so why is he given a pass?I’m a 16 year old and would not like this to happen to me.PLEASE MAKE THE COUNTRY BETTER FOR US.We ARE THE…
They need to throw the judge and the state attorney in jail. How a man do this to a child and he is out walking the streets to violate another child? When is common sense going to prevail in this country they call Dominica? If the law and the people in power cannot and will not protect our children who will? Dominica you are sending the wrong message to our children and the rest of the world. I am guessing the judge and the state attorney don’t have children because this is disgusting on every level. This perp should be in jail for a minimum of 20 years. I would add his age of 22 and the child age of 14 and sentence him to 36 years in jail.
And mark you, he is not a first time offender eh
@cricket zone
I’m so outraged I could barely think. This decision defies common sense. If this isn’t insanity what is?.The judge should never preside over another case.
Again, I say, what a gross miscarriage of justice. People should start a petition to get this judge remove from the bench.
No photo of the Rapist? The public has a right to know such characters. Hello DNO….
ADMIN: We don’t currently have one. If we are able to attain one along with the rights to publish it we will update the article.
you all not training your young girls how to deal with their sexuality and depending on the courts to do it for you all .young men are just paying for the failures in society. young men need a ME TOO MOVEMENT AGAINST WOMEN FOR THE WAY YOU ALL DRESS AND CARRY YOURSELVES ON THE ROAD
Oh shut up, you ….!
What ignorance! Stop making excuses for the bastardly behaviour of you men who were obviously dragged up.
To the victim: if you are seeing this, bring a civil suit against this sick man and I hope a lawyer in Dominica can take up the matter probono. Enough of this nonsense against our women and children! Sickening!
You may have a point but this is stupidness if the young lady walk with next to nothing they have no right to touch a child. I can tell you because these men are perverts why cant they find a woman not a child. Really these men needs to be balls less……This is a child for crying out loud. Dominica is known for older men preying on kids. I have experiences. It is time these men be locked up. Some of them are married. How dear you old man wants to sleep with a child. The parents needs to take these kids in a shooting ring or prepare them arm them. This is a forever scar I am telling you and it has been around for some time. I have experiences….Shame on you sick old men will even look at a child with LUST. Go to Hell and thats where you all belong.
I don’t need anyone to tell me Ronnie Cameron Peters is supporting the Red Skerrit party. That’s how justice is served in Dominica. ………………………………….
I mean how could a man rape a 14 year, threatened to kill the child and pleaded guilty to his crime get away with just a warning? My Lord, my Lord and my God!
Let me again repeat: as long as Roosevelt Skerrit is prime Minister of Dominica with the likes of Blackmore, Reggie Austrie, Nanthan and other similar guys around him and a toy cabinet, Pappyshow police commissioner and a very currupt judiciary, Child abuse and other serious crimes that have plagued the country will just get worse and worse!
Since the young man got away with two crimes already according to the Justice Adrien Robert’s and he threatened to kill the young girl, I hope his third appearance will not be for raping and killing the victim and maybe others too
As Ronnie grows older he will become a bigger theif and rapist and then he will kill. …………………….. He will never stop once he can cry and get away with it. That’s just it.
That donkey and monkey
That is call IBO is nothing but a Jack A
The man is obsess and jealous about the PM
You lazy rat get some employment
And stop chatting rubbish on the media
I hope no one read your comments
You are a disgrace
Go away
You unlearn
I am sick of you
A government is as good as the people it is comprised of. The present government of Dominica is made up of people such as sniper-lover Melissa. This lady has but one certificate and hopes to get another after her sojourn on earth, a Birth and a Death.
This is the main reason Dominica has most dysfunctional and lowest performing government in the OECS. Austrie will confirm this for you.
Your foolish utterance is much needed comic relief for me. Post some more, please!
Well said they are mental also the Donkey and monkey. Whenever I read their post I get sick… Wow Lunatics they are personally they are jealous of PM and they are sick. Everything that happens the first line is PM or RED where did that old IBO from what a disgusting guy. He can vote for whomever pleases him but personally he hates Roosvelt the PM…..They are pretty damn annoying. Trying to prove to people they are intellectuals they are nothing but Idiots. Here’s one IBO. empty barrels makes the most noise trying to impress. What a turn off…..
That Judge! Nutts! sh.. comes around when you least expect!
what about the freakin child?! I hope you don’t have children JUDGE!
I am now seeing the part where it says the State Attorney recommended the suspended sentence as well…smh
Since thus guy small he’s doing that! Like seriously! So wait, what about all these other people charged and who have family and small children? So are you guys going to let them off the hook too?! Hmmmmmm.
This is what happens when people don’t report things instantly because the number of people children he molested and attempted to molest he should be rotting in jail. Stupes. But, revenge belongs to the almighty
That is the problem with these wicked,lying,corrupt,lazy UWP AHOLES.This is the same judge they wanted to sit on the treating case brought against the government by Edincort St.Valle,Antoine Defoe and Mervin Jno,Baptiste.I have known,a long time ago IBO France is posting his comments from a mad house.The same set of jacka’s who supported judge Roberts to do the treating matter now want her head on a plate.Samething with Claude Weeks,Weeks for commissioner,Weeks for commissioner,acting like parrots,When Weeks called the hooligans from Salisbury a riotous mob,he was no longer fit to be commissioner.Typical UWP ,rogues,vagabonds,habitual criminals,crooks and traitors.
man this is not Right he should be put away for long time do you know some states in the USA that’s 20 to life
You all want to send a man that get caught with drugs for long time almost want to lost the keys on him now a man rape or attempted to rape a child he escapes jail sentence fu.. rumors that he show send them to jail lost the keys on them f… make an example on them man. What is justice sayin rape and show rumors and u will escape jail time that young girl ain’t have a father to take the law in his hands and then show rumors and say sorry to his family after to avoid jail time
So that’s how the justice system showing “zero tolerance” to the rampant child abuse that’s going on in our country?..
And the judge even talking about “next time” while not even giving this child molester a slap on the wrist?..
I know judges are supposed to be impartial but..as a woman..you should have a better idea of what it’s like for these little girls
IBO this is meant for you. Why does PM always have to come up in your junk. You use his name more than you use your toothbrush….
“You got off lightly but you won’t be so lucky next time.” Is the judge expecting the fella to do this again and then he will be punished?
The time to punish was when he did the crime
“Escapes jail time”? Allu doe ready to solve that issue yet.
How much will you give a father for decapitating one of them. because with that kind of leniency a man MUST DESTROY one of them for their child?? HOPE the fathers get a slap on the wrist too
He failed his family when he decided to attack a minor. I happy he is outside.. so a father like me can get a chance to deliver his sentence.. The state thinks our children are a joke… Hymen intact?!! the justice system has failed with a capital F!
Hahahahaha…this is hilarious!!!
Let this man live with the judges young daughter, niece or family friend if he is to be so trusted.
The Dialogue:
14 year old girl: “long time I know you are a rapist”
22 year old man: “long time I want to rape you” (with his finger in girls’s vagina)
Well, if this is not criminal intent I don’t know what is. I am very happy I am not a judge or prosecutor and I respect the decision of the learned judge. I hope the young man will learn from this second chance he’s been given. Still, I don’t think we out to be too concerned about the guy because he’s been outed and his name is out there. Rather, we should be concerned about the countless other men, some of them in suit and tie and positions of authority who allegedly continue to abuse our young girls.
This sentence is too lenient because to me tye aggravating factors, some of which are not present in this article but heard in other news report are very very serious and the victim, having to see that this young man not incacerated but back in tye community may feel that no real sense of justice was served. Justice must be SEEN to be done. I really feel for the victim. It is high time that we start taking the vicims more into consideration and I suggest we introduce Victim Impact Statements into the court so that not only the perpetrator gets to hear how his action has affected his victim but also it gives the victim a chance to voice it and be taken i to consideration in the sentencing, instead of just psychiatric report and all rhe other reports they do on behalf of the perpetrators. I hope that this young man face the consequences of his actions. Make those perpetrators ACCOUNTABLE and maybe, just maybe we will state seeing some change.
She added, “It is about time that the abuse against women and children must stop. You got off lightly but you won’t be so lucky next time.”
But you all don’t want it to stop. See how many reasons y you diducted from the sentence. So u doh expect crime to continue on our children..how allu protected the children in the country. Smh I know it’s because all u know high posición men take advantages of them too. So you all refuse to change the law…I’m so scared for the little one out there..let children be children man
As long as Roosevelt is the prime minister and the likes of Melissa a parliamentarian, the bizarre will continue to happen in Dominica. You can’t make a delicious, toothsome cake from rotten eggs.
The Cabinet, the top echelon of the civil service are comprised of only rotten eggs. Corruption, incompetence, immorality, ignorance has hamstrung this once productive country, which was the food basket of the OECS.
This guy is sick and longing for some attention I cannot imagine for one minute a healthy animal can take time to write such a crap!!!
What’s your damn old man? You are an idiot full of head knowledge no common sense. Who are you old devil? why do you have to involve PM he has a young daughter also. You are a sack of sh.. IBO maybe a Loogawu…..
This is part of the problem if these lowlifes see that they are going to get a slap on the wrist from these judges they will keep doing the same thing. These judges need to give the maximum sentence to these abusers in order to deter the behavior.
This gross miscarriage of justice could only happen in a Failed State. This is precisely what presently obtains in Dominica.
What we have parading as a government is but a political oligarchy of rogue characters led by someone who apparently suffers from bipolar disorder.
There is a judicial system that renders decisions based on feelings instead at the strict letter of the law.
A police force that operates at the behest of a rogue vagabond instead of serving and protect the citizens, residents and visitors.
I submit from my in-depth knowledge of the country, that under Roosevelt, Dominica can now be officially branded as a criminal paradise.
Have you been asleep. Last I heard the Sexual Molestation in Dominica most of it is the BLUE… High oligarchy in the other party. Why does it have to be RED. You ……
No matter the colour, all sexual molesters of minors should be given the full sentence allowable by law. No leniency for these scums of the eart
By not giving the criminal a custodial sentence, the judge has victimize the adolescent child twice. Unthinkable!
Where has he been? Liar Liar Liar IBO your pants on fire if you have any on maybe your PAMPERS on fire or full of doodoo
Only in Dominica a serial criminal can walk free from court for sexual molestation and attempted rape of a minor. No wonder sexual abuse of minors and rape is so rampant in Dominica. The justice system continues to contribute to the rapidly escalating crime rape. Unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!
When the citizenry of a country loses all confidence in their justice system vigilante justice becomes the order of the day.
Here, a minor is mentally scarred for the rest of her life, no fault of hers, but the sexual monster walked free, by the action of the court, to prey on his next innocent victim.
There is no justification, no matter how pertinent a sexual predator may be after the act, for him to go unpunished. Only in Dominica!
pertinent (no) penitent (yes)
This auto correct mechanism again.
She added, “It is about time that the abuse against women and children must stop. You got off lightly but you won’t be so lucky next time.”
How do you expect it to stop when you guys doing all this BS. Talking about not wanting further impoverish family. Guess what? The one crime is committed against is not the only victim. Only way to stop is to impose maximum penalties possible and stop looking for excuses to set people free. That guy seems to have a problem and will do again. He needs to be registered as a sex offender and a public caution on him.
I will not comment on such decisions by such wicked lawyers and judge. Because it’s unthinkable to believe that these legal systems are the ones who are guilty of all these crimes which are committed in our country by thugs. These slimes have relatives in the legal system who bend the laws and rules to set these criminals free. But I have news for you judge and lawyers; you may set him free but he remains a blasted RAPIST. You cannot change that. Lastly, there will come a time or day when (either on your death bed, or in HELL) you will regret all the suffering you have caused to humanity for not upholding the rules of law. God is the chief Judge and is taking note of that you do. You all are criminals, law breakers, bribe takers, cold hearted and condemned. Even in this life it will not go well with you because of your wicked deeds. You all have soiled our country but pay day is coming. For what goes around comes around.