St Johns, Antigua.
A lay preacher who pleaded guility to indecency assaulting a 14 year old was place on three years' probation when he appeared in the High Court before Chief Justice Keith Thom yesterday.
St Claire Archibald who pleaded gulity to the charge was held on remand before he was sentenced by the Chief Justice.
Before the Chief Justice ruling, the mother of the child made a passionate plea to the court for mercy of Archibald's behalf.
Everyone has erred, and in my case I have erred a lot and without the grace of God I don't know what would have happen to me and my two daughters, who are without an earthly father", the woman said.
"I believe Mr Archibald has paid the price and I know that any judgement which the court would set on him cannot equate to what he has already been through. I am very close to one of his daughters and she is suffering immensely and I think depriving her of her father would not be be true justice. I have forgiven and so has my daughter", she told the court.
The woman said at first her daugther was shaken by the incident but with the help of the church and close friends, she has overcome the ordeal, and was concerned about the man's daughter who is her friend.
