(Wionews)- In a shocking development coming from the Caribbean, West Indies newest pace sensation, Shamar Joseph, who rose to the limelight following his Gabba heroics last year, is accused of rape, sexual assault, harassment and unwanted advances by at least 11 women, including his teen cousin, per a June 27 report by Kaieteur News in Guyana. Part of the ongoing Test series against Australia at home, Joseph returned with nine wickets in the just-concluded Barbados Test, which the hosts lost by 159 runs. Although he made headlines for bowling rockets against his favourite opponents, Joseph’s name getting dragged into such accusations has rocked his brief cricket career.
Per the report, also carried out by several publications in India and worldwide, one of the victims, an 18-year-old, accused the fast bowler of assaulting her on March 3, 2023, at a residence in New Amsterdam, Berbice.
According to family accounts, Shamar picked her up under the guise of ‘socialising’ and brought her to a house filled with others. Although she felt safe initially, Shamar allegedly led her upstairs and raped her forcibly. The family has also accused Joseph’s entourage and Guyanese law enforcement of trying to suppress the case.
Meanwhile, after the news broke out, more women came forward, producing proof, including screenshots, voice notes, medical filings and even text messages, claiming repeated assaults and attempts at covering this matter up. One victim even revealed that Shamar offered money to settle the matter, but the family refused it, saying, “We don’t want money. I want justice for what he did to my daughter.”
However, none of these allegations has yet resulted in formal charges against the West Indies seamer.
Lawyer Nigel Hughes, representing one of the complainants, told SportsMax TV that initial complaints were made some two years ago, around early 2023, further saying that those allegations led to an investigation, with the prosecutors recommending charges be filed only for the matter to disperse from the public eye.
Shamar’s arrest and CWI’s statement
Meanwhile, the report also claims that the fast bowler was also arrested on a sexual assault charge of a teen relative under the age of consent. The victim withdrew her statement while the case was closed; the charges were not pressed.
Moreover, these allegations were made public during West Indies’ first Test against Australia, adding pressure on Cricket West Indies (CWI) to take action. When contacted by SportsMax TV, CWI’s official statement read, “Cricket West Indies is unaware of the circumstances and, therefore, is not in a position to comment at this time.”
Grenada will host the second Test starting Thursday (Jul 3).
