The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A 12-YEAR-OLD boy accused of having sex with a seven-year-old girl will no longer be tried in Supreme Court before a jury but before a Juvenile Panel.

However, no date has been set for when the matter will open in the Magistrate’s Court. The Tribune understands that the Voluntary Bill of Indictment against the boy was squashed on order of Justice Bernard Turner, on the basis that the Supreme Court did not have the jurisdiction to hear the charge.

Justice Turner, having made the order that was dated February 25, 2013, had the matter sent to the Juvenile Panel for the matter to be dealt with under Section 120(3) of the Child Protection Act, chapter 132.

The boy faces a charge of having unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, which he denies.

It is alleged that when he was 11, he had sex with a seven-year-old on December 7, 2011.

He was arraigned in Magistrate’s Court last December before Deputy Chief Magistrate Carolita Bethell and granted $1,000 bail with a surety and a 5pm curfew.

In his arraignment before Senior Justice Jon Isaacs in November of this year, the minor pleaded not guilty to the charge and his trial date was set for December 10 before then Acting Justice Wayne Munroe.

However, the trial did not begin on that date as legal and pre-trial issues arose which resulted in discussions between the judge and the lawyers.

Since the adjournment, a number of status hearings took place from which legal issues arose. However, on February 25, Justice Turner made an order for the Voluntary Bill of Indictment that brought the boy before Supreme Court to be squashed while remitting the case to the Magistrate’s Court.

The boy is represented by lawyer Stanley Rolle.

Prosecutors Sandradee Gardiner and Raquel Whymms appeared for the Crown throughout the case in the Supreme Court.