He was a senior officer police accused of raping one of his Female subordinates but this afternoon a jury acquitted Sergeant Leslie Wade of all charges. The rape is alleged to have occurred at Sergeant Wade's home in Belmopan on September 20th of 2005. The WPC was at Sgt. Wade's because she was assigned to Belmopan and had nowhere else to stay. The WPC alleged that while she agreed to sleep in Sgt. Wade's bed, she didn't consent to sex.
Sgt. Wade took the stand in his defense and denied that they had sexual relations. After close to three hours of deliberations the jury, comprising mostly women, returned with a unanimous verdict of not guilty. Sergeant Wade walked out of the courtroom a free man but his accuser walked out an angry woman.
She is woman police constable Nessie McNeal. We are using her name because she agreed to speak to us this afternoon. She told Keith Swift that justice was not served.
Nessie McNeal, Alleged Rape Victim
"The Police Department did not carry out a proper investigation in that I was not escorted and during the court trial all it was based upon was why I kept exhibits. I kept it because I was not escorted. A police officer should have escorted me. I felt that Sgt. Wade was helped or assisted by the Police Department in winning this case. A proper investigation was never carried out."
Keith Swift,
Why do you think that is?
Nessie McNeal,
"Because he is a sergeant, because he is a male and the Police Department is dominated by males."
Keith Swift,
Will you remain in the Police Department?
Nessie McNeal,
"I have no comment on that at this time."
As for McNeal's claim about the evidence, she admitted in court that while on the day of the alleged incident she was asked to turn over critical evidence, she refused to. One example is that she didn't hand over the medico-legal form which stated that she had been carnally known until October. The rape was alleged to have happened in September of 2005.