With the death of 15-year-old Alicia Ali, whose body was found on the seawalls two months ago, Roxanne Myers decided that she had had enough and even though she has been working for years to address the issue of violence on the whole, she knew more had to be done.
For the past two weeks Myers and other concerned citizens—mainly women—have been standing with placards in front of magistrates’ courts and police stations with the sole aim of bringing attention to the rampant sexual assault of women and children and the weak investigative skills of the Guyana Police Force. It is not new and while some may see it as a futile exercise Myers and those who join her in the hot midday sun every Wednesday with their placards know that remaining silent and caring only for those close to you is not the answer.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and the group will spend the remainder of this month in an attempt to get their message over: that is enough is not being done for victims of sexual violence and that things must change to save the women and children and from people generally from violence.
They do not yet have a concrete plan as to what they will do after April ends, but with elections in the air they are putting whoever takes the reigns after the May 11 polls on notice that enough is just not being done and legislation and giving the police more equipment are not the answer.
While Myers has always been fighting violence and its effects things came closer to home in 2013 when her aunt Millicent Prince was raped and murdered at Cove and John early one morning as she was taking a walk. That murder remains unsolved.
“So I thought if we remain silent on all these matters that it just becomes worse. I felt like in the case of Alicia Ali… [the killer] showed blatant contempt… that you could put a body in such a public place means that you are not afraid of being caught,” Myers told the Sunday Stabroek in a recent interview.
Myers, who has national and international experience as a researcher in various social and public policy issues serves and is co-chair of the Partners for Peace and Development a research and advocacy organisation, said she reached out to NGOs and they decided to raise awareness about the issue and take a public stand. As they use the streets the group is also using the media to bring awareness and for people to understand what is sexual assault, sexual violence and for women to understand their rights.
She said Red Thread, which is part of the activism, has already started another aspect – looking at what are the priorities for women to share with the contesting political parties. The priorities will be delivered at the end of this month after which the group plans to keep up their advocacy.
Myers, who also serves as the co-chair of the Caribbean Coalition for Development and Reduction of Armed Violence, acknowledged that there has been work done in the past and recommendations made, but some have had no traction especially when it comes to the police observing standard operation procedures (SOPs) which are in black and white. She recalled that her aunt’s crime scene was not adequately secured. Two hours after the body was removed the cordon was also removed and there was blood on the wall that was not tested. She pointed out that most families of victims complain that the police did not do enough to find the perpetrators. In her aunt’s case, her cousins, who are rural constables, took on the job of the police and went around looking for possible suspects and took them to the station to be interviewed. After this exercise nine samples were taken and then crime chief, Seelall Persaud, had promised the family that they would be sent overseas for testing. But almost three years later, there has been no word.
Monsters
Myers’ main concern and that of other activists is for the police to do a better job at investigating.
“The fact that there is so much sloth in investigation, it encourages impunity…,” Myers said adding that if the police show more professionalism it would be sort of a deterrent.
The other side of the coin, she noted, is that society has some monsters that give us pause. She cited the recent death of Samantha Benjamin, who was killed and dismembered before being dumped on the seawalls.
It is heart rending Myers said that little Shaquan Gittens could be flying a kite one minute and the next minute he is sexually assaulted, brutally murdered his little broken body dumped. The big questions for all political parties, Myers said, should be how to keep Guyanese safe instead of many having to lock themselves up in virtual prisons in an attempt to feel safe.
“Really I think safety from babies to elderly should be the first priority in this country because my aunt was 89 years old, you couldn’t imagine that she [would have been] sexually violated and after her case I observed about five other cases across Guyana,” Myers pointed out.
While her aunt was attacked in the street, others were attacked in the privacy of their homes.
And while many would support Myers and others who brave it out to bring awareness, they would not stand on a picket line. If a way could be found to have more people talking at the community level and start the conversation about safety especially of children then there may be some change.
Reforming the police force is a priority. Myers said she is not suggesting the firing of those who would have erred during investigation, but rather putting resources where they can be meaningfully used. Where police can do adequate the investigation and follow the SOPs and when this is not done then they should be disciplined.
“Let’s make sure that the SOPs are working and we reward people that are actually doing a good job… the police themselves don’t have the resources to do some of the things that citizens are demanding,” Myers noted.
She called for re-training of policemen and women on how to deal with victims and how to record statements of sexual violence as well as retrieve the necessary evidence. She pointed out that the government has invested in the “hardware” of the force providing more bikes, trucks, helmets and other equipment but in terms of the “software” which should see the police change their interaction with the public and victims is unacceptable.
A special court for sexual violence should be established Myers stated even as she pointed out that the long touted family court which would deal with abuse of children is still to be a reality.
“…We [need] a special court that deals with these cases with alacrity because right now rapes and sexual violence are not a priority… The government of the day has to send the message that it is taking these things seriously…” Myers said.
All members of parliament have a role to play to ensure that these issues are addressed ensuring that budgets actually focus on women and children in specific ways.
“We have great policies, legislations and laws to protect and to ensure women’s human rights…but we really do need to work on our implementation to have a solid and strong implementation,” Myers said.
Noting that women in Georgetown face much difficulty to get justice, she considered that it could be far worse in far flung areas. Highlighting the need for more magistrates, Myers said justice was not just about the perpetrator being sent to jail but also for victims to get compensation as is catered for under the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women that Guyana is a signatory to.
She said if victims required treatment, mental health or care the state should be able to provide this. Myers also called for the court to only focus on sending the perpetrator to jail but also work in the best interest of children and women who are sexually assaulted. Recommendations should be made for the state to help victims and their families.
“For me ten years in prison is not justice, justice is when the victim himself or herself feels some sort of relief from this thing… I think that must more is desirable from the state and its responsibility,” she said.
Citizens, she said, need to demand from the state pointing out that it is not about political activism but it is about citizen activism.
“Guyanese should be asking what does justice look like, it is not about imprisonment of the perpetrator [alone] but about the well-being of the survivor,” she said.
More jurisprudence needs to be developed so that there are sentencing guidelines instead of just the lower and higher thresholds that exist now. As for training for the magistracy, Myers said that she has found it very difficult for training to be provided to the magistracy from civil society since magistrates and judges are only amenable to attend training when a high-profile person from abroad facilitates. Most of these trainings are just for one day and Myers said they are most artificial.
“We have to find a way maybe through the bar association and through the women lawyers association [so] that civil society which has been articulating for a human rights-based approach [can] sort of send more messages and have dialogue [rather than]… just training on awareness…” Myers said.
