A Berbice man was on Wednesday sentenced to 18 years imprisonment at the Berbice High Court for raping a child, with the court ruling that he will become eligible for parole only after serving 15 years behind bars.
Robert Campbell faced Justice Simone Morris on Wednesday, and in handing down the sentence, the Judge said the offence was aggravated by the fact that Campbell occupied a position of trust and authority over the child.
The Judge explained that the court started with a base sentence of 19 years’ imprisonment. Two years were deducted after consideration of mitigating factors presented on Campbell’s behalf. However, one additional year was added after the court found that the breach of trust and responsibility amounted to a serious aggravating circumstance.
That adjustment resulted in a final sentence of 18 years’ imprisonment.
During earlier sentencing proceedings, the court heard a victim impact statement from the teenager, who said her life had “changed completely” following the incident. The statement outlined emotional trauma and ongoing trust issues, which she said continued to affect her daily life.
The court also received probation and related reports before sentencing was finalised. Earlier proceedings had been adjourned to facilitate thesubmission of those documents, including welfare-related assessments.
Campbell had pleaded not guilty to the charge and was tried before a mixed jury at the Berbice High Court. Following the trial, the jury returned a guilty verdict.
During the proceedings, the state called several witnesses, including welfare officials, relatives, police witnesses and medical personnel, as it sought to prove its case against Campbell.
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