LUIS PEREIRA SENTENCED IN JERSEY FOR CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE AT THE HANDS OF VICTIM WHO LATER REVEALED THE HORRORS

In a recent court ruling in Jersey, Luis Pereira has been sentenced to four years in prison after being convicted of five counts of indecent assault against a young girl. The offences occurred while Pereira was acting as a babysitter for the girl, who was only eight and nine years old at the time of the incidents.

Following a five-day trial at the Royal Court in Jersey, the jury found Pereira guilty of the charges. In addition to his prison sentence, he has been ordered to register as a sex offender for a period of five years, a measure intended to monitor his activities and prevent further harm.

The court proceedings revealed that the girl did not report her allegations to the authorities until after her mother’s death in the previous year. It was during a moment of reflection, while going through her mother’s belongings, that she discovered a note written in Portuguese, addressed to her, which her mother had penned shortly before her tenth birthday. The note detailed the abuse she claimed Pereira had inflicted upon her.

Her parents, at the time, chose to dismiss her claims and continued their friendship with Pereira and his wife, despite her disclosures. It was not until a counseling session last year, when she was 12, that she confided in her school counselor by showing another letter she had written in her diary, revealing the extent of the abuse.

The girl recounted that the abuse took place on multiple occasions when Pereira’s wife was away at work, leaving her alone with Pereira in the flat. She described how she would sometimes fall asleep in the couple’s bed and wake up to find Pereira touching her inappropriately. Her testimony was supported by her in-person court appearance, where she detailed how, after the alleged assaults, she began stealing items from Pereira’s household, including perfumes, a purse, and an expensive watch. She explained that her actions were driven by a desire for attention and a plea for help, as she felt scared and wanted to escape the situation.

The court’s findings underscore the severity of the abuse and the impact it had on the young girl, who eventually found the courage to come forward and seek justice. The sentencing reflects the court’s recognition of the gravity of the crimes committed by Luis Pereira in Jersey.