‘Serial rapist soldier’ detained

A SOLDIER assigned to Camp Cumuto was taken into custody by senior Defence Force officers on Tuesday and is now in solitary confinement in a cell at Teteron Barracks, after allegations surfaced that he was responsible for a series of rapes in the district. Yesterday, senior Defence Force sources said the Defence Force is working closely with the police in this matter.

Public affairs officer of the Defence Force Flight Lt Monique Sprott said she could not divulge any information, but later issued a release which said, “The TT Defence Force’s first objective is to determine veracity of the allegations. If these claims prove to be true every effort in support of the TT Police Service will be expended to ensure that those responsible are expeditiously brought to justice.”

Newsday understands that a teenage student told a senior officer at Camp Cumuto the soldier had been involved in multiple rape attacks against other teenagers. She also said she had helped him lure the girls. The senior officer contacted his superiors and the private was taken into custody pending an investigation.

On Tuesday social media circulated information that the soldier set up a girl to come to a house, where she drugged and raped her. The report also said, “The schoolgirl who he works with confessed, plus she has a video of him committing the alleged acts.” After the social media message went viral, Chief of Defence Staff Commodore Hayden Pritchard, who is on an official visit to China with the Prime Minister, asked senior officers to verify the information. They have been asked to submit a report if the information is true. Yesterday senior police from both the Northern and Eastern Divisions said they had no report of any schoolgirls reporting any rapes. The Whatsapp message did not specify where the alleged rapes occurred.