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February 14, 2026
February 14, 2026
After nearly nine years of legal battles and repeated court appearances, a Corentyne contractor has been acquitted of a rape charge that dated back to 2016.
51-year-old Dexter Pheledelphia also known as Dexter Clarke, of Number 51 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, was on Thursday found not guilty by a unanimous jury at the Berbice High Court, in New Amsterdam.
Clarke had been charged in relation to an allegation that on August 6, 2016, he engaged in sexual penetration with a 12-year-old girl.
He denied the accusation and entered a not guilty plea before Justice Deborah Kumar-Chetty.
Attorney-at-law Kevin Morgan of the Guyana Legal Aid Clinic appeared for the defense, while State Prosecutor Marisa Edwards presented the case on behalf of the prosecution.
The court heard that the alleged incident occurred while the child’s mother and sister were at the Port Mourant Market, leaving the girl at home with Clarke. According to the prosecution, the child had been bathing in a yard bathroom when Clarke made sexual advances.
It was further alleged that after she completed her bath and went into her bedroom, Clarke pressured her to remove her towel and engaged with her briefly.
The girl reportedly cried out, which interrupted the act. She told the court she had no previous sexual experience.
The matter was not reported immediately. The child disclosed the alleged assault to her mother on February 22, 2017, more than six months after it was said to have occurred.
A report was made at the Albion Police Station two days later, and the investigation subsequently involved the Whim Police Station.
The child was later taken to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital for a medical examination.
Medical evidence presented during the trial indicated that there were no hymen, lacerations, or bruising observed at the time of the examination.
During the proceedings, the child’s mother confirmed that her daughter had mentioned the incident several times but had requested that it remain a secret.
Under cross-examination, the girl claimed there were multiple instances of interference, though her official police statement referred to only one incident. She insisted that any omission of these details from her official police statement was due to an error by the police.
The police sergeant who recorded the statement confirmed that only one incident had been officially documented.
On Thursday, after reviewing summaries of witness testimonies and hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defense, Justice Kumar-Chetty allowed the jury time to consider the evidence before deciding Clarke’s guilt or innocence.
In a surprising turn, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty, clearing Clarke of the charges and ending the long-running case.
