Men experiencing domestic violence, sexual abuse urged to speak out

Commander of Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Superintendent Crystal Robinson, on Tuesday evening encouraged men who are victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse to speak out and file Police reports against their attackers, even if they are women.
She was at the time being interviewed on the weekly “Police and You” radio programme hosted by Police Public Relations Officer Stan Gouveia.
Acknowledging that the issue of men being victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse is still taboo, the Commander assured that the Police in her division treat these matters very sensitively, so as to protect the identities of victims.

In fact, she revealed that throughout her entire career, she had come across only two instances where men had spoken out against their female abusers.
“Since my years in the Guyana Police Force, I’ve come across about two reports where females raped men. The matters went to court, but the men never turned up,” the Commander said.
“I also know of a woman abusing her husband. He did (go) to court and she was fined, because he said he don’t want her to be incarcerated. She was fined, and eventually they separated,” the Commander added.
She noted that society has an important role to play in men staying silent in these situations, and she encouraged communities to be more supportive of men showing emotions.
“What happens with society, when you’re coming up as a youngster and you cry, persons say, ‘Why you crying? You want to be a sissie? You’re a man! Stop crying! Stand up, men don’t cry!” But we have to realise that we’re only human, and we have feelings, and there is nothing wrong with men crying,” the Commander posited.
She explained that this is a problem with society that needs to be corrected.
“I think men don’t want to look small in society because (they realise their) peers would look down on (them) and say, ‘How you allow she to beat you up, boy?’…and all kinds of things… [and because of that] persons don’t want to come out and talk when their rights are being violated,” the Commander explained.
However, she made it clear that “the same action we take against the man, the same action we take against the woman,” as she encouraged male victims to report their attackers.
The Commander reassured that cases of sexual abuse and domestic violence in her region are dealt with professionally, and with the strictest confidence.
“When [the media] call me, I tell them I’m not reporting on no sexual violence, no domestic violence…I’m not giving you any information. I don’t even send rape messages to Georgetown, I don’t…. I always keep it together because you don’t know the mind of a person, especially the young people. You don’t know their minds, and when you’re going to put it out there…We are not really caring for nobody, we just want to get the news to put out there, but you have to remember someone is suffering silently,” the Commander expressed.