Outraged groups and concerned citizens yesterday continued to push for the removal of ‘A’ Division Commander Clifton Hicken over his recent suggestion that how women dress is linked to sexual violence.
During a midday protest in front of the Brickdam Police Station, which is the division headquarters, almost two dozen persons accused the Guyana Police Force (GPF) of trivialising rape in the society and being insensitive to the consequences it has on its victims. There were also calls for more training of members of the force, while protestors said that he must resign if he cannot acknowledge his mistake and study what actually influences a man to rape and the effect it has on the victims.
On Monday, during the presentation of rape statistics, Hicken said, “You know, we’re speaking of preventing somebody from committing an offence and yet we are creating an atmosphere in terms of our society.”
He added, “When we are within our partnership programmes we advocate for the young females who seem to be vulnerable in a certain age group – that moving from around 13 to 18, 16 to 18 – and we always try to embrace an attire that would be accepted morally.” The police force has since said that Hicken’s remarks were taken out of context.
In direct response to Hicken’s comments, some of the women who were part of the protest wore bathing suits, short pants, skirts and low cut tops, while carrying placards.
Sherlina Nageer, of Red Thread, said what the commander believes is absolute nonsense. Nageer said rape has nothing to do with the way a woman dresses and numerous studies have shown that the crime is not sexual in nature.
Rather, it is a crime that degrades, humiliates and causes severe long term psychological damage to rape victims.
“Police should be policing rapists, not policing women’s dressing,” Nageer said.
Mellissa Ifill, another protestor, added that similar nonsensical comments are common in the police force. “It’s a systematic problem that’s rooted deep in the force,” she observed.
She said too that from Hicken’s comments it is clear that the police force is in need of training as its members appear to be ignorant when it comes to the causes of rape, the psyche of a rapist and the effect it has on the victim.
“Hicken was wrong in his announcement and men have to see what women wear and pass them straight,” another protestor, Eslyn David, said.
Susan Collymore also dismissed the commander’s comments and was baffled by his logic. She said a five-year-old that is raped does not create an atmosphere for rapists and neither does a 70-year-old woman.
Collymore also said that statistics from the Child Care and Protection Agency show that there were 713 reports of sexual assaults against children in Guyana and she questioned if, using Hicken’s logic, the children’s attire excited rapists.
She said that the argument Hicken is making cannot stand up in a court. “He can’t go and say, your worship it’s how the lady dress,” Collymore said, before adding that women have no confidence in the police force because it is clear that a majority of its members believe that sexually-based crimes are the fault of the victims.
One woman told Stabroek News that her 15-year-old daughter was raped this year and when she reported it at the Brickdam Police Station a female police officer, who she described as a “pig,” asked what she could do about it. “Who tell you to let ya child walk so late?” the woman recounted the police officer as saying. It is almost a month and the police are yet to submit the case to the Director of Public Prosecutions, she added.
Roland Beckles-Lamazon, of the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD), said he believed that Hicken, as a professional, must be more cautious with his words, especially when it comes to sensitive issues like rape.
While voicing his fright at the prospect that Hicken has such a view about the cause of rape, Beckles-Lamazon argued that it downplays the mental capacity of men, because the commander is basically saying if a man is to see a woman in an appealing outfit, he automatically wants to rape her. “The Police Force has justified this ridiculous comment and by doing so they are going to make rape victims even more ashamed and this will only add more social stigma,” he added.
Another protestor, Karen de Souza, said Hicken’s comments show the contempt he and the police force have for women. It is either that or a lack of education, she noted.
She said teaching young girls that if they dress immorally is trash and for a recovering rape victim to hear this foolishness, it adds more psychological damage to an already traumatic event.
A similar protest was held on Wednesday. Although four men participated in yesterday’s protest, a call was made for more men to be a part of the continuing demonstrations. Another protest is to be held on Monday in front of Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, at 12pm.
