A 12-member jury was empanelled on Tuesday at the Berbice High Court as the trial of a 40-year-old contractor accused of raping a child got underway.
The accused, Dexter Pheledelphia (also known as Dexter Clarke), has been charged with the rape of a child under the age of 16, contrary to the law. The matter is being heard before Justice Deborah Kumar-Chetty.
The court heard that the alleged offence occurred on August 6, 2016, in Berbice and involved the sexual penetration of a 12-year-old child. Pheledelphia pleaded not guilty to the charge.
He is being represented by Attorney-at-Law Kevin Morgan of the Guyana Legal Aid Clinic under state assignment. The prosecution is led by State Counsel Marisa Edwards.
In her address to the jury, Justice Kumar-Chetty advised the 12 jurors to carefully consider the evidence presented during the trial and to determine whether the accused is guilty or not guilty based solely on that evidence.
The court was informed that several witnesses are expected to testify, including three residents, three police constables, and one medical doctor. Justice Kumar-Chetty indicated that the empanelled jury will serve for the duration of the trial, which is scheduled to continue on February 9, 2026.
