Disc Jockey Nerissa Pearson, who was assaulted by an army officer on Sunday, does not believe the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) is taking the incident seriously and is calling on relevant officials to take action.
Speaking with Stabroek News briefly yesterday, Pearson said that since the incident she has heard nothing from army officials. The woman intends to contact relevant GDF officials herself this morning to enquire about whether they have or will be launching an investigation.
“I honestly do not think they have taken it as a serious matter. They believe that his [the accused officer] action was a mistaken act done while he was under the influence of alcohol…they are just looking at the fact that he slapped me once but they are not looking at the broader picture.
This man has several reports against him in different matters,” Pearson said.
This newspaper had made several attempts to contact the GDF for a comment on the matter but was unable to speak with any army official. Several efforts made again yesterday to contact GDF officials for a comment were futile.
Pearson further told this newspaper that she met with the Station Sergeant at the Brickdam Police Station on Wednesday morning.
Police, she said, have advised her to limit the information she is releasing to the media and at this stage to say only that “investigations into the matter are ongoing.”
However, Pearson said that she learnt from the Station Sergeant that they are waiting on the Commanding Officer responsible for the Cadet Officer who assaulted her to release the man into police custody.
“I was told that they have to hold a confrontation between the two of us to hear what we both have to say and I have to do things like an ID parade and so on and then he has to give a statement as well before they can move ahead with the matter,” Pearson explained.
Pearson also said that she has been unable to determine whether the officer was ever put on close arrest by the GDF. However, she said that she was reliably informed that the man was seen on Tuesday night around the Leopold and Cross streets, Georgetown location where the incident occurred.
“If he was ever put under close arrest by the GDF then they would have done it and released him before Tuesday evening,” she said.
When Stabroek News spoke with Crime Chief Seelall Persaud yesterday afternoon he said that he was not aware of the incident involving Pearson and the officer and could not say what progress police were making with investigations or whether the man had been taken into custody.
During the wee hours of Sunday morning, the officer allegedly attempted to run over three of Pearson’s female friends with his car and then threatened to shoot one of them. Pearson was the DJ at a private party at Leopold and Cross streets, Georgetown.
She had related that the women had just exited the party and were standing at the corner of the road when they were attacked by the officer. The women, Pearson had explained, are of a “different sexual orientation” and it was because of this that the officer started to “pick trouble” with the group.
