GEORGETOWN, Guyana– A High Court judge has adjourned to September 13 the sentencing of Chandralall Lakhraj, who, late on Monday, was found guilty of two counts of rape committed on an 11-year-old girl left in his care.
Lakhraj, called ‘Uncle Pappi’ who was before Justice Brassington Reynolds and a 12-member jury at the Berbice High Court, denied the first charge indictments, which alleged that between September 1 and October 9, 2019, he engaged in sexual penetration of the child.
He also denied that during the same period, he engaged in sexual activity with the child by causing her to touch his penis.
In deliberating for more than two hours, the 12-member jury found Lakhraj guilty of the indictments. Justice Reynolds deferred sentencing to September 13, pending the presentation of probation and other social impact reports.
The High Court was told that the child had been removed from her parent’s home due to neglect and placed in Lakhraj’s care by the authorities.
Lakhraj lived in the bottom flat of the home, with no walls separating. It had three beds, and the victim would sleep inside of a hammock.
But the court heard that Lakhraj would come to the victim’s hammock and sexually assault her at night.
The teen later confided in her school teacher, and the matter was reported to the police.
In his defense, Lakhraj told the court he was innocent and was working in Suriname when the rape allegedly occurred.
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