The West Demerara male teacher, accused of sexually molesting a 9-year-old pupil, cannot be located by police and an arrest warrant has since been issued for him.
In late January the teacher was arrested after the allegations were made against him. Police had subsequently conducted an investigation and the file was forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.
Before the file was returned to them by the DPP, the police, due to certain legalities governing the holding of a suspect, had released the teacher on station bail. There have since been reports that the man has fled the country. However, this remains unconfirmed by police.
Commander of Police ‘D’ Division Assistant Commissioner Balram Persaud told Stabroek News yesterday that it would be “speculation” to say that the man has fled the country. However, he said, he could say that the man could not be found in the West Demerara area.
Last week, Persaud said, a woman who was reportedly present when the teacher assaulted the male student appeared before the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court. It was during these court proceedings, the Assistant Commissioner reported, that an arrest warrant was issued for the teacher.
Shereen Hollingsworth, Persaud said, was accused of being involved in “sexual activity with a child”.
The commander could not say at the time whether the woman was granted bail by the court or when the matter continues.
Following the alleged molestation, the child had been hospitalized. This newspaper understands that the child has since been discharged from hospital and is in protective custody.
PNCR Parliamentarian Mervyn Williams had raised the incident during his presentation at the budget debate on January 26. He had said that he has been given the assurance by both ministers of Human Services & Social Security and Education, Priya Manickchand and Shaik Baksh, respectively, that they would look into the matter.
Williams had also said he was upset that the teacher has been allowed to remain in the education system when he (Williams) had raised a matter about him several years ago.
He added that while he was a councillor on the Region Three Regional Democratic Council (RDC), he made a complaint about the teacher to the then Chairman of the RDC and an investigation was promised. Williams said he was later told that the administration attempted to investigate but no one provided answers and as a result the investigation was aborted.
Meanwhile, a senior police source told this newspaper that in cases where suspects like the teacher are released on station bail, they are required to report to police at least once every week. “It would be very strange if this teacher was not asked to report to the police station after they released him on bail,” the source stated.
If the suspect failed to report to the station as arranged, the source further explained, then immediate efforts should have been made to ascertain his whereabouts given the seriousness of the allegation against him.
Efforts, Commander Persaud stressed to this newspaper, were made to locate the accused but he just could not be found.
