Trial opens for Berbice contractor accused of raping minor

A 12-member jury was empanelled on Tuesday at the Berbice High Court as the trial of a 40-year-old contractor accused of raping a child got underway.
​The accused, Dexter Pheledelphia (also known as Dexter Clarke), has been charged with the rape of a child under the age of 16, contrary to the law. The matter is being heard before Justice Deborah Kumar-Chetty.
​The court heard that the alleged offence occurred on August 6, 2016, in Berbice and involved the sexual penetration of a 12-year-old child. Pheledelphia pleaded not guilty to the charge.
​He is being represented by Attorney-at-Law Kevin Morgan of the Guyana Legal Aid Clinic under state assignment. The prosecution is led by State Counsel Marisa Edwards.
​In her address to the jury, Justice Kumar-Chetty advised the 12 jurors to carefully consider the evidence presented during the trial and to determine whether the accused is guilty or not guilty based solely on that evidence.
​The court was informed that several witnesses are expected to testify, including three residents, three police constables, and one medical doctor. Justice Kumar-Chetty indicated that the empanelled jury will serve for the duration of the trial, which is scheduled to continue on February 9, 2026.