Victim refuses to testify, stepfather freed of carnal knowledge charge

Jun 15, 2010 News

Kurt Fontinlen, 44, a man accused of having carnal knowledge of his 13 year old stepdaughter, yesterday walked out of court a free man because the victim did not wish to offer any further evidence against him.
The allegation was that Fontinlen, on October 10, 2006, at Farm, East Bank Demerara, had carnal knowledge of his stepdaughter. The matter was called up before Justice Roxanne George Wiltshire, at the High Court yesterday.
Yesterday, the victim informed the court that she no longer wanted to offer any evidence against her stepfather. The victim, who is now 17, told the court that she was not forced into saying that she did not wish to continue with the matter. In light of the victim’s revelation, State Prosecutor, Lachmie Rahamat, informed the court that the state had no further evidence to present against Fontinlen.
The judge then directed the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty against the accused.