Dear Editor,
There have been several recent very alarming reported statements in the media by senior ranks in the Guyana Police Force regarding rape, including by Commander of F Division Courtney Ramsay (Stabroek News, Sept 29), and Commander of G Division Kevin Adonis (Guyana Times, October 2).
In the first case of the alleged gang-rape of an Amerindian woman in Mahdia, Commander Ramsay’s statement highlighting the fact that the victim had been consuming alcohol at the time of the incident reveals a troubling ignorance about rape and contributes to enduring stereotypes that shame and blame victims of rape and sexual assault. The fact is that rape is never the ‘fault’ of the victim. It doesn’t matter what the victim was wearing, whether or not they had been drinking alcohol, or even flirting with the attacker; rape is about one person taking advantage and brutalizing another – an exercise in power, control, and domination. Commander Ramsay was completely out of line to make the statement he did. His action has revealed to us all that, even at a senior level within the police force, there still remains a great lack of knowledge and awareness about this serious societal issue.
In the second case of the rape of an Essequibo Coast mother, Commander Adonis’s statement that because sperm was not found in the victim, her claims of rape could not be supported, also reveals a great lack of understanding. Sperm does not need to be found in a victim for a rape claim to be valid. Rapists can use condoms to contain their bodily fluids; rape can be inflicted using objects which would not leave sperm, etc. These basic facts about rape should be common knowledge; the fact that Commander Adonis exhibits such ignorance is extremely disturbing. Much training about rape and sexual assault has been conducted with members of the Guyana Police Force over the years, at multiple levels. It is clear that what is needed at this point is not really more training, but more understanding and accountability. Police officers from junior to senior ranks need to understand the seriousness of the violation of rape, the physical and mental suffering that victims experience, as well as the importance that their words and actions can have on that individual as well as in society at large. Rape is a grave crime and should be investigated as such, not downgraded to ‘assault’ or brushed aside callously.
When police officers make statements that belittle and disrespect victims and their traumatic experiences, fewer victims will feel comfortable coming forward to seek justice, and more perpetrators will feel comfortable acting with impunity and getting away with brutalizing others.
Police who belittle and disregard rape victims and their complaints must be disciplined and held accountable to higher standards of conduct. Unless this happens, the factors that encourage rape culture will continue to flourish in our society.
I call on the Guyana Police Force to demonstrate a greater commitment to ensuring justice for the many victims of rape and sexual assault in Guyana today.
Yours faithfully,
S Nageer