Twelve Months in Prison for Abusive Stepfather, Devain Flores

One year in prison for physically abusing his three-year-old stepson, that’s the time Devain Flores will spend for concurrent sentences that were handed down by the lower courts this morning.  The matter, as we’ve reported, was prosecuted by Commissioner of Police Chester Williams.  From the onset, the ComPol pushed for a custodial sentence to be delivered, in light of the public outrage following a video of Flores kicking and punching the infant.  Flores pleaded guilty to the charges that were brought against him; however, last week, when he appeared before a senior magistrate, Flores’ witnesses failed to show up in court to testify on his behalf.  This morning, following sentencing, ComPol Williams told reporters that he was content with the time given to Flores.

 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“I am satisfied, yes, that the court imposed the maximum sentence of twelve months.  I wished they had run consecutively, but instead the magistrate chose to have them run concurrently.  So, in other words, he will only serve twelve months as opposed to twenty-four months.  But in terms of the magistrate imposing the maximum sentence on both counts of twelve months each, I think that the punishment does fit the crime.  The child who has been abused and his parents can now feel at ease that the perpetrator will be behind bars, and so for that I am extremely happy.”

 

Reporter

“And the reason provided for it not to run concurrently.”

 

Chester Williams

“Well the magistrate did cite precedence and she is right in doing so and by law she does have that discretion.  So as much as I am not too satisfied with that, she is acting within the scope of the law in so doing. The magistrate was extremely clear in her assessment of the matter, in terms of saying that we must send a strong message to persons who have care of children.  As a society, we must protect our future.  Our children are our future and if we don’t do what we can now to protect them, then who is going to do so.  So I think the magistrate was very clear in that as well.”