Accused rapist convicted of carnal knowledge

A Belize district man accused of rape has been convicted of carnal knowledge in the Belize City Supreme Court. At approximately two this afternoon, a jury returned from their deliberations with a guilty verdict against twenty-two year old Sheldon Baptist. He will be sentenced by Justice Troadio Gonzales on Wednesday for the crimes of Carnal Knowledge and two counts of Threat of Death. In teary testimony from the dock, the sixteen year old victim told the court that in January 2005, Baptist viciously beat her, stuffed his shirt into her mouth and then had sex with her against her will. When it was over, the teenager said Baptist threatened to kill her if she told anyone what had happened. During the trial, the accused took the stand in his own defence and claimed that he did not attack anyone. Defence attorney was Lionel Welch while Crown Counsel Audrey Matura prosecuted.