KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, Apr 22, CMC-A magistrate’s court has sentenced retired school teacher John Clyde Fitzpatrick to two years and seven months in jail after he was found guilty on four counts of indecent assault on a 13-year-old boy
The matter against the 65-year-old was heard in camera to protect the victims, but a police statement said that the offences were committed between September 2024 and January 2025.
“Due to the sensitive nature of the case and the need to protect the identity of the minor, further details cannot be disclosed at this time,” the police statement had noted at the time.
But it noted that all necessary legal processes were being followed to ensure justice is served.
Fitzpatrick was charged under Section 127(1)(a) of the Criminal Code, CAP 171 of the Revised Edition of the Laws of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (2009), which states that indecent assault on a child under the age of 15 carries a penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment.
Additionally, subsection 2 notes that a child under 15 cannot, in law, give consent that would prevent an act from being considered an assault.
CMC/jn/ir/2026