Increase in rape cases recorded in Region 8 – Police

Police revealed that there are close to 19 reports of rape in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) for this year, as opposed to about six last year.
This revelation was made during the Guyana Police Force’s weekly Police & You radio programme by Regional Police Commander, Senior Superintendent Michael Kingston.

When asked about the crime statistics within the Region, he noted rape was the main cause for the crime rate in Region Eight being high.
“My statistics as it relates to serious crimes is up… it is only up because of one specific offence, and that is rape,” Kingston said.
He went on to say that “that is the only offence that has caused my figure to be up. When it comes to murder, robberies of all categories – break and enter and so forth, I am down. So, the only figures that are showing Region Eight crime increase is rape.”
In this regard, collaborative efforts are said to be 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.
“We have taken some steps to deal with these issues…I have been in discussion with those organisations and there is a planned agenda for us to go out and meet persons in the various villages, especially over the north,” the Regional Commander.
Blossom Inc was said to be seeking persons to be employed by the organisation, giving preferences specifically for persons within Region Eight to come on board in order for the partnership with the Police to be carried out with ease in being able to reach the victims of sexual violence.
The Commander had stated that he was of the belief that education was a necessary tool in combating the offence, and this is where collaboration with the organisations come in.
Further, he stated that the challenge was not in being able to obtain reports of rape, but rather getting to the perpetrators in a timely manner, since they would move from one location to another.
He noted that dealing with the situation is a work in progress and the collaborative team was working assiduously in ensuring the rape cases are dealt with.
Just last month, Top Cop Nigel Hoppie had disclosed that during the period January to June this year, some 153 reports were made of the offence of rape, compared to 90 reports. This represented a 70 per cent spike in rape cases.
The collaboration between the organisations and the Police of Region Eight has been ongoing since April-May.