Police in Regional Divisions One (Barima-Waini) and Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) are even more concerned with the number of rape offences occurring in these two regions.
Region Eight Commander, Senior Superintendent Michael Kingston, has said the issue of rape is an “eyesore” for his ranks, given the number of reported cases.
He said that, so far, there have been nine reported cases of rape, even with a 14.3% decrease in serious crimes. This is compared to 12 cases in the corresponding period.
Region Eight Commander, Senior Superintendent Michael Kingston
“We had just one report of homicide so far for the year. Those are the only two serious crimes we have at the moment. Things are relatively quiet. I think we had one report of a (case of) robbery-with-violence for the year”, he explained.
Commander Kingston has said he is working assiduously to ensure that the region continues to see a decrease in cases of serious crime.
Last August, Commander Kingston revealed, the region had close to 19 reports of rape for that year, as opposed to about six for the previous year. This revelation was made during the Guyana Police Force’s weekly Police & You radio programme.
Kingston said the crime statistics within the Region have indicated that rape is the main cause of the crime rate in Region Eight being high, and it is currently a matter of concern for the Police Force. In this regard, he said, collaborative efforts are ongoing with the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA), Child Link Inc, and Blossom Inc, all of which are organisations on a mission to curb occurrences of rape within the region.
Region One Commander, Superintendent Himnauth Sawh
Further, he said the challenge is not in being able to obtain reports of rape, but rather in getting to the perpetrators in a timely manner, since they would move from one location to another.
Lack of education
Meanwhile, Region One Commander, Superintendent Himnauth Sawh, has said his ranks are battling cases of rape. He said the reason for the increased cases of rape in Region One is due to the lack of education.
“Region One is known for an increase in rape matters, primarily because of the lack of education. So, my team and I are partnering with members of the regional authorities… rape remains a challenge for us, because the victims don’t come forward”, he said.
Commander Sawh has said it is only when health officials detect pregnancy in Region One that matters of statutory rape are brought to the attention of the Police.
“…or in schools, where the teachers detect that the students are not responding properly, and upon questioning, they would recognise that the person might have been sexually active. That is when other reports come to the Police”, he explained.
As such, he said, the Police in Region One are also working with the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA), Child Link Inc, and Blossom Inc to reduce the cases of rape. For the year 2021, the Region saw almost 18 cases of rape, compared to this year, when the Region has seen 10 such cases so far. (G9)
