Protestors yesterday again withstood the mid-morning heat as they continued to press for better protections for the many victims of sexual abuse in the interior whose plights are often suppressed and forgotten.
The latest protest organised by the Red Thread group saw demonstrators gather outside of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, at the junction of Thomas and Quamina Streets, since most of the victims of sexual abuse in the interior are indigenous.
It was supported by Guyana Trans United, Help and Shelter, the Global Youth Movement-Guyana, the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) and concerned citizens.
It was hoped that the Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai would give an ear to the concerns and see that proper implementation of the Sexual Offences Act take effect in the hinterlands.
Asked what she would like to see done in helping the abused victims, Sherlina Nageer, who represented Red Thread, said, “Anything.’’
Nageer said it appeared as though nobody is paying attention to them since no one from the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs came out to listen to their concerns or even offer a compliment for their support towards the indigenous people.
“Minister, what are you doing?’’ she asked, before later criticizing the current system which the ministry has in place to deal with the victims of abuse. She stated that it is inefficient as she pointed out that only one child care worker has been placed at Lethem and is expected to reach persons from other remote areas. She added that this poses a huge challenge, since many people do not have the necessary resources to travel to the location.
Advocacy Officer of SASOD Schemel Patrick displayed a placard which read, “’Proper Implementation of the Sexual Offences Act Now. Justice for Victims.’’
Patrick called on the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs to be more proactive in carrying out its responsibility in dealing with Amerindian girls who are being victimised. She added that the Ministry is offering very little help at the moment.
When asked as to how long they intend to continue their protest, Patrick told Stabroek News that it will continue every Wednesday at different locations until further notice.
SASOD Co-Chair Joel Simpson was also among the protesters. He described the actions the Ministry is taking towards the allegations coming from the interior as “outrageous.’’
Simpson added that the incidents of sexual assault in the interior are higher since many of the cases are not reported. He stressed the vulnerability of the Amerindian girls since many of the services being offered on the coastland are not available to them and highlighted the need for educational and professional counselling services which are currently absent.
He also noted that many rape victims are also victims of poverty and he stressed that financial support should be offered to offset travelling expenses and to acquire legal services.
An attempt to obtain a comment from Minister Sukhai proved futile. Stabroek News was told that the minister was not in office.
The same organisations had protested at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters at Eve Leary on October 1, to voice their outrage at the shortcomings in the investigation into the allegation of rape at Mahdia.
Also on October 8, a number of organisations and individuals picketed outside the Ministry of Health at Brickdam in protest against the unavailability of rape kits in hospitals.
A young woman had reported last month that she was drugged and subsequently raped while she and her co-workers were celebrating a birthday on the premises of the hotel and bar where she was employed.
The woman, who hails from a small Amerindian village in Region Eight and who had been employed by the business for almost a year, had recounted she was taken to the Mahdia Hospital, where she was admitted. And she later reported the attacks to the police. Dissatisfied with the local police’s reaction to her complaint, the young woman travelled to the city where she lodged a further report at the CID Headquarters.
It was later learned that the local police were not investigating her rape claims, only a physical assault committed by one the men she had identified. Following complaints by local groups and the submission of photographic and other evidence, the Director of Public Prosecutions advised the police to widen their investigation.
