Nepalese electrician jailed over 32 months for groping teen intern at George Town site
A Nepalese electrician has been sentenced to two years and eight months for indecently assaulting an 18-year-old intern at a George Town construction site.
Electrician sentenced for sexual assault of intern at George Town construction site
A Nepalese electrician has been sentenced to two years and eight months in prison after indecently assaulting an 18-year-old intern at a George Town construction site, Cayman News Service reports. Samirr Nepali, 31, entered a guilty plea, accepting the full facts of the prosecution's case.
The incident took place in January of last year, when Nepali and the young woman were alone inside a unit of a ten-storey building under construction. The court heard that he told her she was "hot", grabbed her hand, kicked the door shut, asked her sexual questions and then touched her breasts before kissing her on the cheek — all without her consent. The victim managed to escape when a noise outside momentarily distracted him, though he followed her and placed his arm around her as she attempted to leave.
She immediately reported the assault to a co-worker, called her father, and police were contacted shortly afterwards. Nepali initially denied any physical contact, then admitted grabbing her wrist and hugging her, telling officers: "I made a mistake, I'm sorry, my brain wasn't working." In a subsequent interview he claimed she had consented to a hug and that any contact with her breast was accidental. His guilty plea, however, meant he accepted the prosecution's account in full.
A victim impact report described the teenager as suffering "a significant psychological impact" from the assault, including persistent anxiety and reduced feelings of safety in the workplace. Sixteen months after the incident she still felt only "partially safe" in work environments and was considered likely to benefit from trauma therapy.
The Crown submitted that the offence fell within Category 2 — mid-level — harm. The defence argued that the psychological impact did not exceed what is inherent in any non-consensual sexual offending. Justice Emma Peters rejected that position, finding that the lasting effects on the victim placed the offence firmly in the higher category.
Passing sentence, Peters said the incident must have been terrifying for a young woman at the very start of her career. She stressed that every person has the right to feel safe at work and noted the importance of protecting women in the construction industry, where they remain under-represented. Deterrence, she said, was a particularly important consideration given the size of Cayman's growing construction sector.
Nepali's previous good character and his efforts to support his wife and young child in Nepal were accepted as mitigating factors, reducing the starting point from three years and eight months to three years. A further discount was applied because he changed his plea to guilty on the morning his trial was scheduled to begin. The final sentence was set at two years and eight months.
Upon completing his sentence, Nepali will be deported to Nepal. Justice Peters noted that because he will be removed from the jurisdiction and has no means to pay compensation, no ancillary orders were necessary or proportionate.
Source: Cayman News Service