On Monday, a 10-year-old boy took the stand in the child rape trial of Nicki Minaj’s brother, Jelani Maraj. The boy, who reportedly witnessed the alleged rape of his sister, detailed what he saw back in 2015.
“What happened was I was looking for [her], “ the boy explained of his then-11-year-old sister, Page Six reports. “My pencil broke and I didn’t have any others.” ⠀⠀⠀
“I saw his underwear close to his knees,” he told the jury of his stepdad, Maraj, adding that his sister’s pants were “around her ankles.”
He continued, in a softer tone, “I thought it wasn’t right. It looked weird to me, so I ran upstairs,” just moments before Maraj found him and slapped him in the face “about 10 times.”
“He asked me if I had seen anything. I said, ‘Yes,’” the 10-year-old testified. “He slapped me on the cheek.”
As the young boy continued his testimony, he said Maraj threatened that he wouldn’t see his mother again, if he revealed what he saw. At the time, Maraj was married to the boy’s mother, Jacqueline Robinson.
According to Page Six, the boy also recollected hearing his sister’s door open late at night, just moments after his suddenly closed, as prosecutors argued that Maraj assaulted the girl about four times a week. However, the defense managed to get the young boy to admit that the lights were off when he walked in on the rape, in an attempt to poke holes in his testimony.
As for the rest of the trial, a doctor testified last week that the girl’s medical records proved penetration, and prosecutors have said that Maraj’s DNA was found on the girl’s pajama pants. However, the defense maintains that the allegations are a part of an $25 million extortion plot against his sister, Nicki Minaj. As a result, Minaj, who posted Maraj’s bond back in 2015, is expected to testify in court.
