Jury returns 'not guilty' verdict in rape trial

Thursday 06 July 2017

A 21-year-old man has been found not guilty of raping and indecent assaulting a teenage girl in the Royal Court today.

Paulo Adelino Pestana Ferreira had maintained his innocence throughout the four day trial, and then late this afternoon the jury unanimously cleared him of all charges.

The case focused on whether or not, Mr Ferreira had sexually assaulted and raped a 17-year-old girl in the early hours of 9 October 2016, after meeting her in the Havana Club. He claimed throughout the trial that no sexual activity took place and that he and the victim had simply kissed and cuddled in the back of his car, after they had stopped in a remote car park on the way to her home address.

The prosecution, led by Crown Advocate Simon Thomas, stated that he had tried to take advantage of a "vulnerable" girl who was clearly drunk. Mr Ferreira's advocate, Rui Tremoceiro, however, insisted that his client wasn't a "sexual predator" and the prosecution's characterisation of him wasn't "fair."

Before the Jury retired to consider their verdict, Royal Commissioner Julian Clyde-Smith insisted that they must be absolutely sure of Mr Ferreira's guilt to convict him. 

The seven men and five women who formed the Jury retired for over three fours before returning a unanimously 'not guilty' verdict.