The APNU+AFC coalition is facing criticism for fielding a candidate who has been repeatedly charged—although not convicted—for child molestation at Friday’s local government polls.
The candidate at the centre of the controversy is Winston Harding, who is contesting for the first-past-the-post seat in Constituency 13 (East and West Ruimveldt), where campaign posters with his image have been rebranded with a tag, reading “Child Molester.”
Stabroek News contacted Harding for a response but he said he could not speak until directed to do so by the coalition. When reminded that the accusations were against him and not the coalition, he said “they are also damning to the party, so I will await their instructions. The party is presently handling the matter.”
Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence, who is in charge of the coalition’s Georgetown campaign, is also facing criticism over Harding’s candidature, particularly in light of her portfolio.
When Stabroek News spoke with Lawrence at the coalition’s campaign office on D’urban Street on Monday evening, she maintained that the accusations begin and end with Winston Harding’s sister.
“This is a family issue that has been going on and on and on and on for whatever reason, I can’t tell you, because if I had a brother, even if there was an accusation, this is not how I would go about helping him,” she told Stabroek News.
“Do you think that me, the minister in charge of that (social protection), would have someone like that running? Do you think that the party would expose itself like that? We are aware of the situation but he was never charged,” the Minister maintained.
However an examination of the Stabroek News archive shows that Harding has been charged several times.
An article appearing in the August 10th, 2001 edition of Stabroek News, headlined “Alleged child molester refused bail,” identified the then 31-year-old Winston Harding, of 81 East Ruimveldt, as having appeared before then acting Chief Magistrate Juliet Holder-Allen on the charge of indecent assault.
The Winston Harding who is contesting under the APNU+AFC banner is registered at the same address.
The allegation against Harding then was that he committed the assault at the virtual complainant’s home.
It was also reported that during his arraignment, a relative of the man told the court that he had been implicated in similar cases before—a claim which was validated by the court prosecutor.
‘You can’t support this man’
Sharon Harding, who is the sister of Winston Harding, has confirmed that she was that relative who had told the court of her brother’s previous charges.
Speaking with Stabroek News on Monday at Red Thread’s Princes Street office, she said her brother was first charged for molesting an eight-year-old in 1999.
“He appeared before Dawn Gregory Barnes and that case was dismissed after (a relative) refused to let the victim testify. She didn’t take the child to court,” Sharon Harding told Stabroek News.
He was charged again a few years later with another sexual assault.
The sister, who said she has spent many years trying to get justice for those who have accused her brother, said she was “cautioned” by Minister Lawrence after Winston Harding’s campaign material was rebranded to label him “child molester.”
“He kept telling people is my sister, is my sister who put those things on the posters and then the minister came to my house. I tell her minister you can’t support this man, he need to be in jail. I’m going to put him in jail. Her words to me were, ‘I don’t want you to do that. He has worked hard for the party and he needs to be rewarded,’” Sharon Harding, who denies being behind the “child molester” posters, said.
Stabroek News was unable to source information on the outcome of the charges against Winston Harding. An attempt to access the records of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts Registry has so far proved futile. This newspaper has been told that access can only be granted after an official written request.
At the request of both the minister and Sharon Harding, Stabroek News contacted the Child Care and Protection Agency (CC&PA) on its investigation of the recent case involving Winston Harding.
Sharon Harding said that a report of child abuse was filed in 2012 at the Brickdam Police Station against her brother.
“The child spoke to persons at the church and they did nothing. She then talked to a friend at school, who told a teacher. The teacher took her to the headmistress and she called welfare. I was with the child when she made her report at Brickdam. She signed and I signed and now they saying they can’t find her statement. How do you lose the statement of a seven-year-old reporting sexual abuse? Sharon Harding asked.
Attempts to get information from the CC&PA, however, proved futile. Head of the agency Ann Greene told Stabroek News on Monday evening that while the names of Harding and the child were familiar to her, she was not in a position to give details at that time. She directed this newspaper to speak with a Ms Langford yesterday. Repeated calls to Langford yielded no information as this newspaper were consistently met with a request to call back in the “next five minutes.”
The CC&PA is currently conducting a campaign under the theme “Every Person a Child Protector.” Sharon Harding has said that she intends to picket the Ministry of Social Protection with a placard bearing that same theme.
Legally permissible versus morally acceptable
Red Thread coordinator Karen de Souza is particularly incensed at Lawrence’s response to complaints about the candidate.
“I could get pass the party but that the minister with responsibility for child care and protection said not to pursue this matter is unacceptable. What is it you are trying to say to the population when you endorse a person” like this?” de Souza said.
Since he has not been convicted, there is no legal barrier to Harding’s candidature. Article 40(2) of the Local Authorities (Elections) Act stipulates that a person is disqualified from running for council if he/she is: (e) on the qualifying date or at the time when s/he is elected a councillor, serving a sentence of imprisonment of not less than three months for any offence or has since the election been convicted of any offence and sentenced to any such term of imprisonment; (f) has been disqualified from holding office as a councillor pursuant to any law; (g) has within five years before election day or since the election been convicted of, or reported in the certificate of the court in connection with a corrupt or illegal practice.
None of these is true of Harding.
Red Thread, however, believes that there is not a question of what is legally permissible but what is morally acceptable.
Stabroek News posed that question to People’s National Congress Reform General Secretary Oscar Clarke, who is also contesting the local government elections in Georgetown under the coalition banner.
Clarke explained that he became aware of the accusations three weeks ago when the “child molester” posters began appearing.
“When it was brought to my attention, I brought it to the attention of Minister Lawrence and spoke with the candidate. It was brought to our attention after his name was submitted and the time for objections had passed. There is also the issue of the candidate denying the accusations and having never been convicted,” Clarke said. He maintains that this is not an issue the party can do anything about at this time.
