Father gets 18 years in prison for having sex with his daughter

A man who had unlawful sexual intercourse with his underage daughter over four years ago has been sentenced to three concurrent 18-year prison sentences.

A High Court judge handed down the sentence on the man on Tuesday (March 29) following his admission to three counts of the offences on March 7.

This offence, similar to incest, carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Although the law allows for the name of an accused person found guilty of rape to be published, due to the fact that the man is so closely related to the victim his name is being withheld to avoid anyone being able to identify the child.  The law in Antigua and Barbuda prohibits the publication of the names of rape victims or any information which may lead the public being able to identify the victims of such crimes.

Reportedly the child, then 11-year-olds but now a teenager, was placed, along with her brother, in the custody of their father after allegations of abuse by the mother surfaced in February 2018.

The woman was accused of mistreating and beating them with all sorts of objects, including a cutlass. That matter was discharged, but the girl opted to remain with her father, who at the time was living with his girlfriend.

The first sexual encounter occurred in 2018 while the child was sleeping in her room; at that time he laid on her while she was sleeping on her stomach and threatened to beat her if she told anybody.

Another incident occurred about a year later in August 2019 and again that same night while the child was in bed with her stepmother.

The convict reportedly got into bed with both of them and started to have intercourse with his girlfriend as she slept. He then turned his attention to his daughter and after the act, turned again to his girlfriend who knew that something was not right after feeling a wet substance on her leg. She had also felt the bed moving.

The abuse came to light the following day after the child was confronted by her stepmother about having sex with her father, to which she admitted.

Reportedly the woman moved out of the home but did not report the matter to the police after confronting her partner and being told that he did have sex with his daughter because she was not having sex with him.

The girl’s mother became aware of the situation and reported the matter to the police after someone told her of an argument they overheard in public between the man and his ex-girlfriend.

During the public spat the ex-lover revealed that he was sleeping with his daughter in front of people. The man was 40-years-old at the time he sexually assaulted his biological daughter.

The man was represented by the law firm of Daniel and Associates.