250 hrs community service for crying false rape

Wendy Isahark, a Judiciary employee who filed a false police report last week Tuesday that she was raped by a taxi driver, was yesterday ordered to perform 250 hours of community service after she pleaded guilty to wasteful employment of police time.

Magistrate Nalini Singh said in the Princes Town Magistrates’ court that she was minded to sentence Isahark, 45, a telephone operator at the San Fernando Magistrates’ court, to six months in jail which is the maximum penalty for making the false police report in addition to a $1,000 fine.

But the man, taxi driver Deonath Ramsubhag, whom she made the report against, poured out his heart inside the courtroom for the magistrate to have mercy on Isahark.

“Taxi drivers laughing at me. People don’t want to travel with me but please have mercy on her Your Honour,” Ramsubhag pleaded. “No, No, please don’t do that to her.”

Isahark had pleaded not guilty when she appeared on Thursday last before Singh but yesterday she changed her plea.

Prosecutor Sgt Shazeed Mohammed, related that at about 8.30 pm Isahark went to the Barrackpore Police Station and reported she was raped. Corporal Neil Nanan spent five hours investigating the matter in which he recorded a statement from Isahark then took her to the Princes Town District Health Facility.

The necessary medical tests were conducted with a view to sending them for analysis at the Forensic Science Centre. He arrested Ramsubhag, who was placed in a cell in the Princes Town Police Station for an entire night. But after Nanan had interviewed Ramsubhag and confronted Isahark, she admitted, “I never get rape. I lied.”

Attorney Petronella Basdeo made a stirring plea on Isahark’s behalf, saying she was most contrite, had no previous convictions and the “victim” had forgiven her. But Singh said that Ramsubhag was the important person in determining how the court treated with the matter and she called him forward.

“What’s your view with respect to this matter?” she asked.

Ramsubhag began to plead for Isahark, saying, “I forgive this lady for this....don’t send her to jail please. Please don’t do that. With all this thing I gone through, I forgive she. I know my reputation get damage; taxi men telling me all kinds of things.”

Singh told Isahark, a mother of one and employed for the past 12 years, that she could have faced six months in jail. When the magistrate said that, Ramsubhag erupted with more pleas, “No no, please don’t do that. Please, don’t let she lose she wuk. What will happen to she?”

Singh told Isahark that to fabricate a rape case against a man, is one of the most horrendous things one can do, “because at the end of the day, all a man has is his word.”

The magistrate went on to tell her that her actions could have the effect of diminishing the public’s view about genuine rape victims.

Isahark is to report to the Probation Office, San Fernando, where it would be determined the nature of her 250 hours of community service. She is to return to court on September 21.