Sophia resident cleared of all child rape charges

November 25 2025 – A man from Sophia, Greater Georgetown, was acquitted of three counts of child rape after a jury trial concluded at the Demerara High Court last Thursday.

The accused, Haisi Jones, had faced charges of sexually penetrating a 14-year-old child on three occasions—March 7, 8, and 9, 2023.

Justice Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus presided over the trial, with State Counsel Taneisha Saygon and Padma Dubraj representing the prosecution and Attorney Adrian Thompson serving as the defence counsel.

The jury returned not guilty verdicts on the first two counts after carefully considering the evidence presented. On the third count, Justice Isaacs-Marcus directed the jury to acquit Jones, as the prosecution did not provide any evidence for that charge.

Following these decisions, Jones was discharged.

The trial’s final phase unfolded on November 21, 2024, with Justice Isaacs-Marcus delivering her
summation of the evidence before the jury retired for deliberation.

Jones had been apprehended in October 2024 at Kairuni Backdam, located along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway, after being the subject of a wanted bulletin issued by the police in June 2024.