Jamaican Police Officer jailed for sexually assaulting 16-year-old-girl

A senior Police Officer in Jamaica was sentenced to 19 years in prison by Judge Leighton Pusey on Friday. The sentence was carried out after he was found guilty of raping a 16-year-old girl in 2019.

According to reports from local news media, Sergeant Christopher Bennett, 37, was a senior police officer and a veteran with 15 years of service under his belt. When presented with the judgement in court, it is said that the accused found it hard to stand in the Home Circuit Court.

At the time of the incident, Christopher Bennett was the head of the Denham Town Community Safety and Security Branch. The teenage girl was being counselled by the team under him his command.

According to reports on June 17, 2019, Christopher Bennett offered the woman a ride from the station but took her to an isolated location and assaulted her. A report regarding the same was later made to the Police, following an investigation, the accused was arrested and charged.

His attorney attempted to obtain bail on his behalf but failed in the attempt. Public opinion is firmly in favour of the victim and the judgement has been received well. Some have questioned the delay but the general perception around the decision is a positive one, by all accounts.