Sexual Assault Case Dropped After Victim Deemed Unfit to Testify

Thirty-six-year-old Herman Grant and 36-year-old Ronald Michael are now free after a nolle prosequi was entered in their sexual assault case involving a minor. The ruling came today after Justice Candace Nanton determined the key witness, now 17, was not competent to take an oath due to mental challenges. Despite the victim being allowed to testify without taking an oath, the Crown opted for a nolle prosequi, believing a conviction would be unlikely without a sworn testimony and corroboration. Grant was the only accused present in court. Michael had absconded but was tried in absentia. The case, nearly three years old, stemmed from allegations made in 2022. The victim, then 14, told police that on July 7, 2022, Michael and Grant forced her into a car, drove her to a house in Buttonwood Bay, and sexually assaulted her. Michael was initially charged with two counts of sexual assault of a child and threatening words, while Grant faced a single count of sexual assault of a child. Both men initially denied the allegations, with Grant claiming he was studying for a police exam and Michael stating he was at work.