ST. THOMAS – One man is facing felony rape charges after his sister accused him of forcing her to drink until she became ill, and then raping her on the floor of their mother’s bathroom.
According to court documents, on Sunday afternoon police were dispatched to the Schneider Regional Medical Center to investigate a reported rape. There, they met a woman who at the time was not able to speak with them because she was drifting in and out of consciousness. Officers then contacted the woman’s minor sister, who told them that she had been at the family’s Estate Mandahl home at the time of the incident.
The girl said that she saw her older sister in their mother’s bathroom, passed out on the floor, while her brother stood nearby laughing. To protect the identity of the victim and the minor witness, Consortium journalists have decided not to name the suspect.
The young girl said that her sister did not appear to be breathing, so she threw cold water on her several times in an attempt to revive her. Her sister was vomiting and still cycling between consciousness and unconsciousness, however during one of her lucid moments the woman indicated that she needed to speak with her younger sister alone.
However, the girl said that her brother refused to leave the scene, forcing her to physically push him out of the bathroom. Then, the woman on the floor told her younger sister that their brother had raped her and may have spiked her drink.
The younger sister, who is under the age of 10, reportedly helped her older sibling to the bed, where she lay shivering. Attempting to call the mother, and then 911, the young girl told police that she was stopped by her brother both times; however the family matriarch returned home shortly thereafter.
The young girl told their mother, who turned to her son for an explanation. He reportedly said that the older sister had consumed a beer.
That same Sunday, the brother himself turned up at the hospital, where he was interviewed by police. He told officers that he had been drinking whisky and red wine since that morning, and continued through the day. He said that at some point, he and his sister both had about five shots of liquor and more than two glasses of wine, after which she began to vomit and pass out.
The man told police that he tried to pick up his intoxicated sister, which is when she reportedly tried to remove her clothing and fell onto him. He said that he got on top of her to try and get her off the floor and into the shower, and told officers that it was his drunken sister who grabbed his penis. However, he denied any sexual contact and denied spiking her drink. He told officers that his mother’s arrival precluded him from calling 911.
The woman consented to having a rape kit performed while at the hospital, which found evidence of penetration and injuries in her genital area.
The brother was arrested and charged with first-degree rape, as well as first-degree unlawful sexual contact. He was remanded into custody to await his first court appearance.
Details of the man’s advice of rights hearing before Magistrate Simone VanHolten-Turnbull have not yet been made available as of press time, however court records indicate that probable cause was found for the charge of first degree rape, and bail for the suspect was set with a cash component of $10,000, which was paid.
The man’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 22.
