Govt official arrested for alleged rape of 13-year-old relative

A Government official was on Monday arrested, after he was accused of raping and ultimately impregnating a 13-year-old relative.
According to the police, the man was arrested and escorted to the Karasabai Police Station, South Pakaraimas, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), where an investigation was launched.
Guyana Times understands that the teenager is now four months pregnant. Based on the allegation and seriousness of the matter, the official was transported to the Lethem Police Station, where he is currently being held.
The teenager was medically examined which proved that she is pregnant.
For last year, 61 per cent of cases slated for the Demerara Azizes constituted of rape charges solely.
The need for more counselling to be done in sexual abuse cases was highlighted in a report from Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) ChildLink about child sexual abuse in Guyana. It was suggested that such services have been improved to help affected children recover.
The report reflected that in 2014, 3883 cases of child abuse were reported to the Child Care and Protection Agency (CC&PA) of which 628 (or 16 per cent) were child sexual abuse cases.
In 2017, the CC&PA saw a total of 4179 cases of abuse reported, with 841 (20 per cent) of these being child sexual abuse. It was also found that in a period of three years (2014- 2017) there was an increase of five per cent in reported cases of child sexual abuse.
ChildLink had further explained that in 2015 and 2016, the CC&PA received 676 and 734 reports of sexual violence, respectively constituting 15 per cent of the reported cases of abuse against children.
Child sexual abuse is when an adult or older child coerces, forces, or persuades a child into sexual activities, according to ChildLink, which describes the act as alarming and distressing since it causes trauma among other issues for a child. The report suggested that with more counselling, child victims are being enabled and empowered to recount what happened to them.
It was also noted that there was some improvement in the delivery of services to children who have been sexually abused. It has been reported that since the launch of the Sexual Offences Court in November 2017 by the acting Chancellor and the Judiciary, there has been a successful prosecution rate of approximately 80 per cent in child sexual abuse cases that have made it to the specialised court at the High Court in Georgetown.