Guilty of 11 counts of aggravated sexual assault.
Sentenced to 20-40 years in prison.
INDICTED: Nov 30, 2006 -
Severine Wamala, 45, Lowell High School Math Department Chairman, has been indicted on 34 counts of felony sexual assault charges involving three women.
Update May 11 - Lawyers for Wamala have asked a judge for a gag order to bar police and prosecutors from discussing the case publicly. They have also filed motions asking a judge to bar prosecutors from using statements Wamala made to police as evidence against him.
He faces 34 felony sexual assault charges, each punishable by 10 to 20 years in prison, and three separate trials - one for each alleged victim. (later changed to one trial) Wamala remains jailed on $1 million bail.
A hearing on an earlier motion to suppress his statements to police, claiming that detectives taunted him by calling him names, including "nigger," ''faggot," ''pig" and "perv," is scheduled Monday in Hillsborough County Superior Court. Police and prosecutors deny the claims.
Also see National Background checks story from New York Times. TT link.
MOTION WITHDRAWN: May 15 - Wamala and his lawyers said they withdrew his earlier motion to suppress statements, and all the allegations and claims within it. In that earlier motion, Wamala had charged Nashua detectives taunted him, calling him names including “pig,” “perv,” “faggot” and “nigger” during questioning.
TRIAL to START: August 13, 2007 - The trial is scheduled to start next week. A judge has not ruled on a motion to suppress his statements to police nor a prosecution motion that accuses Wamala of trying to influence a witness. Wamala has been in jail since September. His bail was set at $1 million. Warmala is a noted chess champion.
TRIAL POSTPONED: Problems with two victims who have "backed away" from their statements to police has caused a delay of the trial. The judge has postponed the trial until September 4.
GUILTY VERDICT: Sept 14 - The jury found Wamala guilty of 11 counts of aggravated sexual assault. He was acquitted of one charge. Each felony is punishable by 10 to 20 years in prison. No sentencing date given.
SENTENCED Nov 20 - Wamala was sentenced to 20-40 years in prison for repeatedly raping a young girl.
Speaking before he was sentenced, Severine Wamala, 46, formerly of 6 Danforth Road, Apt. 22, attacked the girl one last time, saying she had always been a difficult child and was prone to lying. He also said he loves and forgives her.The failure to admit guilt will not help him.
Assistant County Attorney Patricia LaFrance recognized Wamala won't become eligible for parole unless he admits his guilt as part of the prison's sex-offender treatment program and thus may serve the maximum term, effectively a life sentence.This is how self-serving Wamala and his backers are.
"You have fooled people," he told her. "You know how to make yourself a victim, to appear as a victim."TT - Posters at the news story were not kind to Feldstein.
Wamala also said a close friend of his, who was not present, had said he would trust Wamala with his own daughter.
[Judge Robert] Lynn eventually asked Wamala to wrap up his remarks, while Wamala was in the midst of an tangential explanation on the meaning of the saying, "the proof of the pudding is in the eating."
Robert Feldstein of New York City praised Wamala for his efforts to promote chess, organizing tournaments and helping and coaching players."Any time that Dr. Wamala serves in prison will be a great loss to the chess community," Feldstein said.
