Dear Editor,
Help & Shelter condemns the horrific assault on the family whose members were robbed, stripped and physically and sexually assaulted outside a Sheriff Street night club on Monday 26 March 2007.
We demand that the full force of the law be brought to bear on these criminals as quickly as possible and that the Guyana Police Force treat this matter with the urgency it demands and devote as much attention to the investigation of this matter as to the Cricket World Cup security arrangements.
Such barbarism must be roundly condemned by all sections of the Guyanese community. We demand that proper security arrangements be put in place immediately at all entertainment bars and night clubs for the protection of Guyanese citizens and as a condition for the granting of licenses to operate. This is not the first time that crimes have been committed outside night clubs and urgent action must be taken to arrest what seems to be a growing trend.
We are saddened at the failure of bystanders to render any assistance to the victims and call on any member of the public who has information that could assist in the apprehension and prosecution of the perpetrators to come forward.
We also call on the relevant government agencies to exercise the same level of vigilance for the safety and security of citizens of Guyana as for our Cricket World Cup visitors.
As an organisation committed to helping victims of violence we stand ready to assist in any way we can.
Yours faithfully,
Vidyaratha Kissoon for
Members of Help &
Shelter