Haitian man walks free of sex charges on technicality

Patrick Laurent

A Haitian national accused of having sex with an under-aged girl on three separate occasions is tonight a free man. Thirty-two year old Patrick Laurent’s trial began on Monday and concluded with his freedom Wednesday evening before the Supreme Court of Justice Adolph Lucas. He was charged with two counts of Carnal Knowledge of a Child and one count of Carnal Knowledge of a female.  Even though the minor did not make it to court to testify, Laurent’s freedom came because of a technicality in the trial. According to Justice Lucas, a prima facie was not established against Laurent to proceed to trial. Laurent was accused of having sexual intercourse with the minor on two separate occasions—in 2008 before her fifteenth birthday and thereafter in January 2009. Prosecutor in the case, Kaysha Grant, called six witnesses to testify including the minor’s father. But it was the age of the child that could not be established that led to Laurent’s freedom. With no birth certificate tendered into evidence, and the father testifying that he could not recall the age of his daughter, Justice Lucas directed the nine member jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty against Laurent. He was unrepresented.