Police slow to act on rape of nine-year-old
– File with La Grange Police Station for more than two weeks
The mother of a nine-year-old girl is upset that ranks in ‘D’ Division appear to be dragging their feet in investigating the rape of her daughter, allegedly by a 34-year-old mini bus driver, more than two weeks ago.
The incident allegedly occurred at the woman’s home.
The woman has claimed that the suspect went to the family’s home on September 21, last, to meet with the child’s grandfather and noticed that the girl was home alone. He allegedly climbed onto the veranda, entered the home and raped the child.
“My brothers and him does drive bus together and when they get problems, he does complain to my father, so on that day, one of my brothers and him got into an argument and he told my brother that he will ‘F#%$&k up his family and he left the Number 32 bus park,” the child’s mother alleged.
The woman added that her daughter was sick with the flu and diarrhea and had stayed home from school with her grandfather but the grandfather had to leave home to run an errand.
“My daughter said she heard the guy calling and when she went out he asked where was her grandfather and my daughter informed him that he was not at home so he asked she and who home, and my daughter said she alone, so she went in back the house and continued watching television,” the mother recounted.
She added that her daughter told her that shortly after she went inside, the 34-year-old driver confronted her from the veranda and threatened to kill her if she made any noise.
“She said that the man took off her clothes and raped her on the chair and when the pain became too much, she started crying and he put his hands over her mouth but she managed to bite him and push him off and run and lock herself in the toilet.”
The terrified mother said that the driver, who is a father himself, then banged on the toilet door for the child to come out. After she remained inside, he put on his clothes and left.
“She said she wait a while and then she barely open the door and see him putting on his clothes—a green jersey, black pants, brown boots, blue hat and black shades. He jump down the veranda and walked at the back of the yard,” the mother said.
The woman said that the child’s grandfather arrived shortly afer the suspect left.
“My father called and ask me if I can come home now that something happen, so I left work and went home.”
The woman said that her daughter was so terrified of her attacker that she did not want to tell her what had happened.
“When she told us we went to the station to report the matter and we went for a medical which confirmed that she had been raped.”
Initially, the family had no idea who had raped the child. “Two days after she was raped my father had to cut his hair (at a West Coast Demerara barber shop), so he took her and my brother (who was also there) told her to watch around just in case she sees the person who attacked her.”
The mother said that her daughter spotted her attacker at a bus park, and he who was wearing the same attire he was dressed in when the attack occurred.
The child’s relative apprehended the suspect and took him to the Vreed-en Hoop Police Station where he was released on $100,000 bail after two days.
The girl’s mother said that on the day the suspect was released, she went to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) after being instructed to do so by the Child Care and Protection Agency.
According to the woman, the DPP’s office called the division to request the file. Later that day, a female police rank allegedly visited the scene of the crime.
“Imagine, they didn’t do all this before, but only when the DPP called they come, and the officer asked me why I had to go to the DPP.”
This newspaper has been informed that the officers at the La Grange Police Station are still preparing the file for the Commander, Leslie James. The file will then be sent to the DPP