RALPH BANWARIE
A retired police corporal appeared in court yesterday charged with raping a four-year-old girl and was released on $300,000 bail.
Richard Knights appeared before Justice of the Peace Anna John and his matter was transferred to the Rio Claro Magistrates Court to be heard today.
Knights, who last worked as detective at Rio Claro Police Station, was charged with sexual penetration of a minor by WPC Kerr of Sangre Grande Child Protection Unit.
The offence was reported to be committed sometime between 2015 and this year.
The child’s mother reported the incident at the Rio Claro Police Station and police officers referred the matter to the Child Protection Unit at Sangre Grande.
In an unrelated case, a 43-year-old taxi driver is scheduled to appear before a Sangre Grande magistrate charged with kidnapping a 19-year-old sales clerk.
The victim reported that she boarded a taxi at the Vega de Oropouche Taxi Stand, opposite the Sangre Grande Police Station with the other passengers around 7 pm, after she finished working on December 6.
The driver dropped off the three other passengers and drove the 19 year-old into another road. She eventually dived out of the vehicle and ran towards a house, where she reported to those in the house what had happened. PC Darion Harris of Sangre Grande charged the suspect with the offence.