The Ministry of Human Services & Social Security has taken three girls who were removed from the Oko Backdam in Region Seven late Friday afternoon, where they were reportedly taken to be part of a prostitution ring, into its custody as the police step up their investigations.
Human Services Minister Jennifer Webster yesterday told Stabroek News that she could not comment on the matter since she had not received a report from her officers but suggested that she be contacted today.
Commissioner of Police (ag) Leroy Brumell told Stabroek News that the force is investigating a report of the girls being taken into the interior by a woman to work as sex workers. He said his ranks had travelled to the location following a report by a fourth girl -the 16-year-old who had escaped and was brought out of the backdam with the assistance of the Guyana Women Miners Organisation – that she was being forced to work as a prostitute by the woman. He said that the girls -two fifteen-year-olds and a 17-year-old – were found in what is called a Kaymano (crudely built buildings in the interior which are used primarily for sex workers). The ranks arrived in the backdam on Thursday night mere hours after they had taken the statement from the escaped 16-year-old and left the backdam on Friday after arresting the woman who alleged took the girls into the backdam.
“We have her in custody and we are investigating the report and tomorrow [today] we would know what charges will be laid,” Brumell said.
Meanwhile, President of the women’s miners organisation Simona Broomes praised the police for the prompt actions they took mere hours after they were informed of the alleged underage sex ring. Broomes was contacted hours after the 16-year-old had escaped and was placed on a truck leaving the backdam. One of her executive members met the girl at the Itaballi toll gate and she was later brought to Georgetown after giving the police a statement.
Broomes said she was heartbroken over the stories of the girls and she hopes that justice prevails. She said after the three girls were taken to Bartica on Friday night they stayed with one of her executive members and other members of the organization rallied around them and ensured that they were comfortable, fed and clothed.
“The girls came out with their clothes falling out of plastic bags and my members ensured that they bought clothes and so on for them and took care of them,” Broomes said yesterday.
She said the members also noticed the girls were ill as they “had fever and trembling and right away my members who are miners suspected that they had contracted malaria.”
The girls were taken to the Bartica Hospital and the doctor who saw them insisted that they be admitted and saline administered because of their condition. Blood smears taken confirmed that two of the girls had indeed contracted malaria. Following their release the members of the organization paid for the girls to be brought to Parika and one member travelled with them to ensure that they were handed over to the Human Services Ministry’s workers.
The 16-year-old, who had escaped on Thursday, had told Stabroek News that she ran away from her grandmother’s home after she was recruited by a man to work in the woman’s shop. She said it was last Sunday that the woman travelled to New Amsterdam and herself and the three other girls left the same day but they spent the night at the woman’s house on the West Bank of Demerara. While there the woman’s husband allegedly asked their son which one of the girls he wanted and the one he selected was sent to spend the night with him.
The teenager had alleged how she was slapped and beaten by the woman to become a sex worker but she resisted and with the help of a man managed to leave the area. It is believed that it was the same man who contacted Broomes via phone and she later got in touch with the police. The teenager had said she was promised $80,000 a week to work in a shop.
The 16-year-old returned to her home on Saturday without meeting with the Human Services Ministry’s officials but it is hoped that officials would seek her out and that she would receive the necessary counseling as she is very traumatized from her experience.
Broomes yesterday said she hopes that the police would investigate the woman’s son -who is said to be above the age of 18- for allegedly having sex with the girl who is under the age of 16. She said that this girl has since indicated that her mother died when she was just seven years old and she was living on the streets before being taken into the home of one of the other teenagers.
The women miners organization president yesterday said that the organization would continue to fight for the rights of women and girls who venture into the interior as for too long their plight has been ignored.
“We know there are many young girls whose lives are being destroyed in the interior and we are not going to sit down and do nothing. We don’t care who is upset we are going to continue to fight to help our women and girls and we would speak out,” Broomes said.
She said her organization does not receive money from anyone but its members would use their resources to help those in need. Broomes, who has been a miner for all her life, said for too long she has been silent and she does not plan to sit and do nothing any longer.
