CHIEF prosecutor Chester Hinds told the Superior Court that he will call the minor and the minor’s mother to testify today, Tuesday, in the jury trial of Venitus Ruwaath, who is accused of inappropriately touching a minor.
Ruwaath, 42, has pled not guilty to the charge of sexual abuse of a minor in the 2nd degree.
On Monday, Department of Public Safety Detective Shannon Dela Cruz testified for the prosecution and stated that she was the lead case agent for the case.
“I interviewed the victim, the victim’s mother, the defendant, Mr., Ruwaath, and attempted to interview the wife of the defendant,” Dela Cruz said.
She told the court that for some special victim cases, it can take time for a victim to share details of the incident.
“It can be very emotional for the victim. Also, typically the victim is the only eyewitness for these types of cases,” Dela Cruz said.
The case was reported on March 27, 2022. “This was a walk-in complaint made by the victim’s mother against her brother-in-law, Ruwaath, for sexually abusing her daughter,” Dela Cruz said. “The incident occurred…over three years ago — she was around 12 years old at that time.”
Dela Cruz said the victim might not remember the exact date when the incident happened.
Dela Cruz said she asked the defendant if he touched the minor, to which the defendant replied that “they were very close and that he treated her like his own daughter.”
“He described the relationship to be very close…. She would call him ‘dad,’ hug him and say ‘I love You,’ ” the detective said, quoting the defendant.
According to Dela Cruz, the second time she asked the defendant about touching the victim, “he said, ‘I don’t remember doing that.’ ”
Assistant Public Defenders Emily Thomsen and Carrie Comstock represent Ruwaath.
On cross examination, Thomsen asked the detective whether anyone had asked the minor if she was telling the truth, noting that the entire prosecution is based solely on the words of the minor.
Thomsen also asked whether anyone involved in this investigation interviewed the minor’s father and brother.
Dela Cruz said, “I do not recall. But in these types of cases, families are in a lot of pressure, so I focused my attention on the victim’s mother.”
As for changes in the minor’s behavior, Thomsen asked the detective whether they had interviewed anyone other than the minor’s mother.
“No, I did not,” the detective replied.
The prosecution and the defense made their opening statements on Monday.
The jury trial will resume today, Tuesday at 9 a.m.
According to the complaint against Ruwaath, police received a walk-in complaint regarding a sexual abuse of a minor case on March 27, 2022. The minor’s mother — not the father as previously reported — reported the incident.
During a forensic interview, the minor victim told authorities that the incident happened sometime in June 2020.
The minor, who was in bed watching YouTube videos, said the the defendant came into the room, asked her what she was doing, and started touching her inappropriately.
