Three denied bail for 120 days on kidnap, rape charges

THREE men were denied bail on Thursday when they appeared before a Port of Spain magistrate on kidnapping and rape charges.

One of the men is the ex-husband of the kidnap victim and the father of her children. He was also charged with raping her four times.

The alleged incident took place on June 8.

The three appeared before magistrate Maureen Baboolal-Gafoor on Thursday. Since the charges were indictable, they were not called upon to enter a plea.

The prosecution objected to bail for the men because of the likelihood they would interfere with the victim or witnesses.

Baboolal-Gafoor said since the offences fell within the Bail Amendment Act, the three will be remanded for 120 days, after which they can apply for bail. They will, however, return to court on July 22.

The men were represented by attorneys Patrick Godson-Phillip and Bhimal Maharajh.

The first accused, the victim’s ex-husband, was charged with kidnapping for ransom, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, four counts of rape, two counts of grievous sexual assault and indecent assault.

The second man was charged with kidnapping for ransom and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and the third faces a kidnapping charge.

The summary of evidence disclosed that on June 8, the victim’s sister-in-law reported to police that she and her brother and the victim were running errands when they stopped to buy fish from a roadside vendor.

A car pulled up and three men got out and began beating her brother. She allegedly recognised one of the men as her ex-husband.

The report alleged the kidnap victim was pushed inside the car and sometime later, a relative received three phone calls from a private number demanding the exchange of a car for the woman’s release.

She was released the next day and allegedly told police she was kidnapped by her ex-husband, who raped her four times and forced her to have oral sex with him.

The accused was arrested that day by Supt Alexander.

The second man turned himself in and allegedly told police he had done nothing, and it was a “domestic thing” between the man and his wife. The third man claimed he was hired to do a job.

They were later slapped with the 11 charges and appeared in court.