The afc/apnu stated that we wouldn't see these types of incidents under their rule but it looks like business as usual where women are molested and nothing is done.
Officer fingered in alleged sexual assault of female rank elevated to Deputy Commander
– victim’s mother demands justice
The mother of a young female Police Constable is beginning to lose faith in the organization to which she entrusted her daughter almost a year and a half ago.
The woman, whose daughter has alleged that she was the victim of sexual molestation by her Officer in the district in which she was working, is not too convinced that there will be justice in this mater despite the assurance that an investigation was done by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).
In fact, it’s been almost two months since the incident and to date it does not appear as if charges will be laid against the Officer.
In fact, the Police Force has elevated the said officer to the post of Deputy Commander of the very Division in which the incident reportedly took place. For her part, the female Constable was posted to a city police station where she is reportedly being ridiculed by some of her colleagues for reporting the matter.
With nowhere to turn, the female Constable’s mother sought out the media, this newspaper in particular, to express her concern.
She said that since the matter involved a senior rank of the Force, she sought to have an audience with Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud but her efforts have so far been futile.
Except for a statement on the matter from Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, many have been silent, including local women’s groups which have in the past been vigilant against alleged sexual misconduct against females by persons in authority.
The elderly woman, who is physically challenged and is unable to walk freely, told this newspaper that she is determined to get justice for her daughter.
In an exclusive interview with this newspaper, the woman said that her daughter joined the Guyana Police Force 15 months ago. Not long after graduating from the police college, she was posted to the out of town community near the border with Brazil.
The woman said that she was not too worried when her young daughter was posted there, since her father, the late ASP Ronald Charles, was a member of the Force as well as her daughter’s uncle who is also a current Assistant Superintendent of Police.
“I had no problem with them sending her there because I know she could take care of herself and I thought that the exposure would be good for her.”
She said that her daughter is not the type to be easily influenced by “bad elements”. “They take one year investigating her before she became a police (woman).”
She recalled that some time in early September, she received a telephone call from her daughter, informing her about the incident.
She recalled that it was a Sunday and her daughter said that she was off-duty and was at her quarters preparing to do some laundry when another rank went over to her and told her that the officer (name given) wanted her to fill in for another Constable at the station since he had to go out.
Not wanting to disobey the order, the young enthusiastic female Constable left her washing and went across to the station, but did not meet the officer there.
While at the station, the officer called and instructed her to come to his quarters to meet him.
“Remember it’s an Officer and she decided to comply,” the woman related.
According to the woman, when her daughter arrived at the Officer’s quarters, having walked through the broiling heat of the location, she was in beads of perspiration.
The woman explained that her daughter told her that the officer’s quarters does not have much furniture, so when the Officer invited her daughter to have a seat, her only recourse was to sit on the only chair that was in his room.
The woman said that the Officer offered her a beer which she graciously accepted since she had become thirsty as a result of the intense heat.
She said that the Officer told her daughter that he wanted his hair dyed and his uniformed pressed since he was required to attend court the following day.
“As an Officer, again, she decided to comply, so she started pressing the clothes after she had finished drinking the beer,” the woman said.
The Officer then started a conversation with the Constable.
“He start telling her, so long she come up there and if she ain’t got no boyfriend yet and if she had sex.”
The woman said that her daughter related that she was surprised by the conduct of the officer but continued to press the uniform, while “keeping her guard up.”
“She told him that she ‘ain’t come up here for that’. She said that while pressing the clothes, this man just advance to her and start rubbing her. She said, ‘Mommy, I never feel no way so in my whole life, how this thing happen’.”
While all of this was taking place, another who knew she had left go to the Officer’s quarters, came calling for her.
However the officer himself went out to the rank, and reportedly told him that the female constable had already left.
“She said she hear the Officer telling the rank, ‘She is not here, she left and gone already’.”
The woman said that her daughter became afraid, especially when the Officer came back into the room and began grappling with her, trying to kiss her.
The female cop told her mother that she resisted the Officer’s advances.
Sensing that the Constable’s colleagues would be looking for her, the Officer left the quarters, and using this window of opportunity, the female cop left the ironing and fled.
She immediately contacted her uncle, who is stationed at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary.
“She so ashamed about what happen that she didn’t tell anybody; she only call her uncle. He’s the first person she call and then she call me and tell me what happened. She tell me that she was coming home. ‘Ah coming out from hey’. So I say, Lord is what is this now?”
Kaieteur News was reliably informed that the file on the matter was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions with a certain recommendation from the OPR.
However, it was sent back to the police with a request for clarification on certain aspects, which according to a source, have nothing to do with the allegation made by the victim.
She said that she read this newspaper’s report about the alleged incident and felt comfortable that something was being done about it.
But she waited for that to happen and so far it has not. So with nowhere to turn to, the cop’s mother came to this newspaper.
“I am wondering why it taking so long because I reading about other matters that come up already and I am not hearing anything.”
“This thing happen in the Guyana Police Force, so if my daughter does not get justice what will the public think about the force?”
She said that she is surprised that the Officer at the centre of the matter is still on the job. As a matter of fact he is now a Deputy Commander, especially since the ranks who went to his quarters to enquire about her daughter have also been transferred to a remote interior location.
“That is victimization, man!” she lamented.
“What is the Force trying to tell me? What picture are they portraying there when you do something like that? I don’t feel they should have this man working; they should have him under some disciplinary action. If it was a Corporal or so, you believe they woulda have him there?”
The woman said that she went to seek a meeting with Commissioner Persaud but was told by a staff at the office that she should speak to the Commander of the Division in which the incident occurred.
“When you look at it, he is sending us to speak to persons where this Officer is the Deputy Commander. That ain’t make no sense!” the woman declared.
Sexual harassment of junior female police ranks by senior male Officers is nothing new in the Guyana Police Force and other disciplined services. There have been several instances over the years which have gone unreported for fear of victimization.
This newspaper was reliably informed that only recently, a similar matter against a police Officer was discontinued because a young female Constable declined to pursue it further.
This was despite the matter being thoroughly investigated and engaging the attention of the Police Service Commission.
A week ago, the Director of Prison, Welton Trotz was sent packing after he was belatedly charged with sexually assaulting one of his female ranks, an incident which allegedly occurred way back in January this year.