GIRL, 4, RAPED

THE 33-year-old son of a former government minister is being investigated over a sex attack on a four-year-old American girl which allegedly took place at the man’s home on Father's Day last month. The matter was reported to the police a week later.

The girl’s mother was interviewed at length and the matter referred to the Children’s Authority, which is awaiting the services of a psychologist before the child is interviewed. The traumatised girl is at her grandparents' home in South Trinidad.

Yesterday the girl’s mother, who is awaiting documents before she returns home to the United States, said she became deeply concerned after not hearing anything from the Children’s Authority three weeks after the report was made, so she sought legal advice.

She said her daughter has not been the same since the incident and her husband, who is in the US, was making contact with the US embassy in Port of Spain about the incident for its immediate intervention. The distressed woman said she regrets sending her daughter, her only child, to the relative’s home and feels no one can be trusted because paedophiles could be anywhere.

She said she began sending her daughter to the relative’s home to spend Saturday nights last month, but on the second weekend, when she told her daughter that she was sending her to the relative, the daughter said she preferred to stay at home. The child was still sent.

She said her daughter told her that on Father's Day her aunt went to the grocery, leaving her with her uncle. The woman said her daughter told her that her uncle said he wanted to play a game with her involving a "snake," which was going to "run wild." The child then told her mother explicit details of the uncle's description of this "game," which was in fact a lengthy sexual assault.

“I have my child’s confession recorded,” she said. The mother said her daughter only told her about the attack a week later because the man had threatened her. She said when she learnt what had happened she went to the Child Protection Unit to report it and a medical report was obtained. She made her report to Cpl Banwarie of the Child Protection Unit.

The woman said when she confronted relatives of the man they accused her of telling lies. “I want justice," she said. "I want to see (suspect's name called) go to jail, and I want his wife to also feel the full brunt of the law for trying to cover up the matter.

"I do not trust anyone any more with my little girl. She is already scarred for life. And I want to know why is the Children’s Authority dragging their feet to get this investigation going so that the perpetrator could be brought to justice and other children protected from this monster.”

Yesterday, attorney Gerald Ramdeen, who is seeking the legal interest of the victim and her mother, said, "the delay by the Children’s Authority in this matter is disturbing, and should be of great concern to those in charge of the police service and the Children’s Authority.

"I call upon the authorities to take immediate steps in this matter to bring to justice those that are responsible for the vicious and brutal sexual attack on this baby and to do all in their power to protect those who may be in a similar position.”

Contacted yesterday, chairman of the Children’s Authority Hanif Benjamin said he was unaware of the case and asked Newsday to e-mail the information so he could get the authority to give him the details. He promised to give a response, but by 4 pm, Benjamin said he had not received any of the information requested as yet.