Man 55, to spend 30 years behind bars for raping child

…Judge says children “should be respected and given toys and not be used as sex toys”

One week after he was found guilty of raping an eight-year-old girl on August 20, 2016, Collin Cummings was on Wednesday sentenced to 30 years imprisonment by Sexual Offences Court Judge, Simone Morris-Ramlall.
The offender, who is a former gold miner from Wismar, Linden, professed his innocence as he was being led away to the prisoners’ holding cell. This came moments after Justice Morris-Ramlall observed that the nation’s children must be left alone.

“All the time I have been saying that I am innocent, I don’t know what to say about this sentence,” Cummings told Guyana Times International.
He was unanimously found guilty of raping the young girl by a 12-member jury last week Wednesday after a few days of the trial. Before sentencing, his lawyer, Clyde Forde in his plea of mitigation stressed that Cummings left mining to take care of his ailing mother and that any long-term sentence would make an unpleasant stay for his client, stating that Cummings being fifty-five is a relatively old age.
However, the eight-year-old victim’s statement was read out in court by Child Link Counselor Celeste Mullin who detailed the victim saying that she is afraid of Cummings and that she should have never gone into his room to watch cartoons.
“I was afraid and uncomfortable with what [he] did to me. I was scared of him and my life has not been the same,” the young girl pointed out.
In a probation report read by Probation Officer Shaneila Wilson, Cummings was said to have hugged other females inappropriately. It was reported that the child’s hymen was absent when medical examination was conducted. As such, her parents wanted to see justice for her. Her mother claimed that her daughter would often draw sketches with teardrops with terms such as “ugly” and “stupid” which the parent said she would throw away.
Justice Morris-Ramlall in a detailed address stressed that the offender took away the girl’s innocence, adding that children are Guyana’s most valuable resource. The Judge noted that children who are victims of sexual abuse are scarred for life and that this prevents them from maximising their potential which in turn hinders the country’s development.
“They should be respected and given toys and not be used as sex toys for the fulfilment of depraved adults,” the Judge stressed.
In determining the sentence, she referenced the recent Child Care & Protection Agency (CCPA) statistics, whereby some 841 cases of child sexual abuse was recorded last year. She maintained that the court must play its part in sending a strong message to potential offenders.
Justice Morris-Ramlall stated that the offender showed no remorse to the verdict even though his attorney asked for mercy. The Judge considered his age, the circumstances of the case and that he used his finger to commit the act. Cummings will have to serve 25 years before he is eligible for parole. By that time, he will be 80 years old. The State was represented by Seeta Bishundial, Orinthia Schmidt and Narrisa Leander.