July 7, 2005: Headlines: COS - Malawi: Crime: Santa Barbara Independent: Kafatia guilty of rape

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Malawi: Peace Corps Malawi : The Peace Corps in Malawi: November 23, 2004: Headlines: COS - Malawi: Crime: Daily Nexus: Kent Kafatia faces two counts of rape and one count of burglary. Friends of Kent, a charity formed by Santa Barbara residents who were former Peace Corps volunteers in Africa, was financing Kafatia’s education. : July 7, 2005: Headlines: COS - Malawi: Crime: Santa Barbara Independent: Kafatia guilty of rape

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-37-25.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.37.25) on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 - 11:15 am: Edit Post

Kafatia guilty of rape

Kafatia guilty of rape

Kafatia has had strong support from a group of former Peace Corps volunteers who had served in his native Malawi, Africa. Calling themselves "Friends of Kent," they had raised money for Kafatia's education. They first met Kafatia while he was a student at SBCC and were greatly impressed with him and his dreams of pursuing an education and returning to Malawi to help his people. Several members of the group attended the trial daily, saying that they have been with Kafatia "since the beginning."

Kafatia guilty of rape

Kafatia Guilty of Rape
Jury Hung on Some Charges That May Be Retried
by Chelsea Lindman

Kent Kafatia, formerly a night security guard at Santa Barbara City College, was found guilty Tuesday of rape and false imprisonment. Aside from those two counts, the jury was hung on six remaining felony counts of attempted sexual battery, assault with intent of rape, and making threats. The trial involved allegations that Kafatia had attacked three women. The jury found he had raped one of the women - dubbed Jane Doe #3 - and had falsely imprisoned another. But it could not come to an agreement on an attempted rape charge involving the third.

Kafatia, a UCSB Rhodes scholar, faces mandatory state imprisonment, with a maximum eight-year term. Sentencing is scheduled to take place July 14. The District Attorney's office may retry portions of the case.

Over eight arduous days of deliberation, jurors requested playback of transcripts and video recordings of the woman identified as Jane Doe #1, who allegedly fought Kafatia off with a hair clip while he tried to rape her. Ultimately, jurors were not able to unanimously decide on any of the counts against Kafatia involving Jane Doe #1 - stalling at an 11-1 vote.

Public defender Karen Atkins said that she was "very unhappy" with the outcome and that in the case of a retrial of Jane Doe #1's accusations, she would introduce new evidence, including telephone records. According to Atkins, Jane Doe #1 was on the phone with her boyfriend at a time crucial to the time of the alleged attack.

When Atkins questioned jury members about her case's strengths and weaknesses after the proceedings, jurors responded that she could have emphasized details about Kafatia's eyeglasses. One accuser had said her attacker was not wearing glasses. This is apparently significant because Kafatia always wears glasses.

Deputy District Attorney Mary Barron, who had tried the case, was out of town on vacation when the verdict came back. She was represented by her colleague, prosecutor Joyce Dudley, who initially began the case against Kafatia. Dudley said she was pleased with the victory, and that the jurors should be proud of serving on this trial and convicting Kafatia, adding that the jury was "amazing." Despite Jane Doe #3's high alcohol level, Dudley said that she was "very certain on rape" and not surprised by the verdict at all.

Jury members said they were mentally exhausted and relieved that the six-week trial had come to an end. Saying it was hard to come out of a hung jury, one woman said she felt that justice had been served, but that the process was "definitely not easy." The foreman described this group of jurors as a "good group of people," who remained composed throughout deliberation, even though "tensions were high" at times.

Kafatia has had strong support from a group of former Peace Corps volunteers who had served in his native Malawi, Africa. Calling themselves "Friends of Kent," they had raised money for Kafatia's education. They first met Kafatia while he was a student at SBCC and were greatly impressed with him and his dreams of pursuing an education and returning to Malawi to help his people. Several members of the group attended the trial daily, saying that they have been with Kafatia "since the beginning." Also lending support to the defendant on Tuesday were his former landlady and his mother.





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Story Source: Santa Barbara Independent

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Malawi; Crime

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