In observance of International Youth Day, SASOD Guyana emphasised the significance of protecting the rights of all young people in Guyana as well as in the Americas region, including their rights to life, bodily autonomy and safe working environment.
SASOD Guyana said in a press release that on July 11, 2024, in the early hours of the morning, Shawn Simon Hooper known as Coil Bottle, a 27-year-old transgender sex worker, was executed in Georgetown. Two of the alleged perpetrators have been charged and are before the court. “Despite this, there is said to be at least a third perpetrator allegedly involved in the killing who is yet to be arrested and charged, while the motive behind the shocking murder remains unclear,” the release said.
SASOD Guyana said that it is important that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) conduct a thorough and comprehensive investigation, that the prosecution of this matter is professional and sound, and that the judicial process is free from bias and prejudice.
The press release stated that while there have been many documented cases of violence against young sexual and gender minorities in Guyana over the past decade, this is a rare case in which the alleged perpetrators have been clearly identified.
“If justice is not properly administered in this case, this could motivate more bad actors to commit similar crimes against marginalised youth, including LGBTIQ+ youth and young sex workers, in Guyana,” SASOD Guyana said. “Justice must serve as a deterrent to prevent acts of targeted violence against marginalised youth and other vulnerable groups in Guyana.”
SASOD Guyana commended the Organisation of American States (OAS) for the creating the position of Commissioner for the Rights of Sex Workers and the appointing Gloria Angélica Careaga Peréz on August 6, 2024. This move highlights the commitment of the OAS to protecting the rights of sex workers across the Americas region.
Careaga, who is a social psychologist, LGBTIQA+ activist and feminist advocate from Mexico, emphasised on her appointment that “sex work is a job that can be recognised as being as worthy as any other and this must be our task.” SASOD Guyana said it will engage with the new commissioner in her mandate to collect and report information on the situation of the rights of sex workers, and submit recommendations to the OAS Secretary General to address these findings.
