By Alva Solomon
POLICE were called in at dawn on Sunday to quell a stand-off at Hosororo Hill in the Mabaruma Sub-region after six Guyana Defence Force (GDF) soldiers reportedly assaulted several villagers following a fight at a football match.The Guyana Chronicle understands that the army ranks were involved in a fight with a resident earlier on Saturday night at Kumaka where football was being played under floodlights. Kumaka is the area’s business community.
According to reports, around 04:00 hrs, the army rank and his colleagues, who were without uniform, left the area in the company of a Police Corporal for Hosororo Hill in search of the resident.
The young man’s relatives told this newspaper that the ranks visited a house in the area and while armed, kicked down the door of the family while they were asleep.
After an unsuccessful search, the ranks visited the home of the young man with whom they were involved in the fight. The young man’s relatives said the ranks, who appeared intoxicated, stripped the man’s mother of her clothing while physically and verbally assaulting her, using expletives.The GDF ranks then reportedly proceeded to the home of a taxi driver further into the community and allegedly physically assaulted the man’s grandfather. This newspaper understands that one of the ranks told the elderly man that he is an army rank, and as such, he was at liberty to act on his own behalf.
According to reports, the soldiers carried out their tirade around 05:00 hrs on Sunday, forcing the residents to block the main roadway, which links Hosororo Hill to Mabaruma. This prevented the officers from returning to the army barracks near the Mabaruma airstrip.
By then, Mabaruma police were informed and a senior police officer, accompanied by other ranks, hurried to the area to prevent the situation for escalating further. The officers told the men who were beaten to report the matter to the police station but residents were worried about the actions of the army ranks, all of whom are well known to residents in the area.
ALLEGED RAPE
Meanwhile, two soldiers stationed at Lethem are being investigated on an allegation of rape committed on a 16-year-old at the army’s barracks in the Region Nine community.The Guyana Chronicle understands that the alleged rape occurred on the evening of Wednesday, February 17. Reports indicate that the teenager was tied-up by one of the ranks who raped her.
The teen’s parents reported the matter to visiting government officials, who were in Lethem on an outreach this weekend. Sources in Lethem reported that the matter has reached the higher offices of the army and the officers in question may soon face penalties. Police in Lethem are investigating the incident.
