Police prosecutors urged to adopt more humane approach in sexual, DV cases

– poor victim treatment weakens cases – GPF warns

Police prosecutors from all Magisterial Districts in Guyana were urged to exercise people skills and to take a more humane perspective when dealing with complainants, especially those who have suffered from sexual and/or domestic violence. This was the sentiment of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, who delivered remarks at the recently concluded Justice Education Society (JES) training session titled “Applying a trauma-informed gender and culturally sensitive approach to the application of justice” at the Police Officers’ Training Centre. Camp Street, Georgetown.

Ali-Hack told the prosecutors that their reactions to those persons who have been assaulted sexually can either encourage them to pursue justice or discourage them from pursuing the path of justice. As serving members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), she reminded them of the important role their attitude and conduct have in this country.
“It’s a role you must not take for granted, and it’s a role you must take seriously. In order for you to do your job, you need to be serious about it, and you need to equip yourself; you need to know what the law is, and you also need to have the ability to deal with persons with people skills. You have to be able to speak with persons in a manner that they feel that you have an interest in their matters… So as prosecutors, your attitude and conduct towards a person must be friendly; you must smile so that they can feel comfortable. Common courtesies are important,” the DPP added.
Speaking directly on the trauma experienced by complainants, she reminded the more than 35 participants to ensure that the complainants feel comfortable in court.
“You have to understand that these persons have been traumatised, so I ask you, when they come to court to give their evidence, you have to have the right attitude and the right conduct to make them feel comfortable giving their evidence. Witnesses in sexual offence cases have to be dealt with in a different manner from other criminal offences. After this training, we will all have to deal with cases with a fresh approach, be more understanding, be in a more informed position, and have a more humane perspective, yet at the same time, ensure that justice is done; justice must always be our focus.”
However, Senior Superintendent of Police Nicola Kendall, who spoke on behalf of Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken, reiterated the DPP’s sentiments, who added that cases are weakened not because the offence did not occur, but because the process failed.
“We often fail to properly understand and engage victims, particularly those who are most vulnerable. When victims are not treated with dignity, and when their statements are not carefully and professionally obtained, the integrity of the case is compromised from the very beginning,” Kendall stated.
She further noted that the training was both timely and necessary because it will have a direct impact on strengthening the case management framework and how cases are moved from the investigation process to successful prosecution in court.
She pointed out that a successful criminal case is not solely determined by the evidence collected but by how it is obtained, preserved, and presented before the court.
“For this reason, I emphasise the importance of a trauma-informed approach. This is not simply about being compassionate; it is about being effective. It ensures that victims are treated with respect, that their accounts are accurately captured, and that evidence is preserved from the earliest stage. In so doing, we strengthen the evidential foundation of our cases, improve committal success rates, and ensure that justice is not only pursued but achieved,” Kendall related.
In its statistics on domestic violence cases, the GPF stated that in 2025, it recorded 796 such matters, and of those, 168 resulted in convictions. In 2024, it recorded 916 DV cases with 170 convictions.