Regional Commander for Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Senior Superintendent Kurleigh Simon has revealed that the region has seen an increase in statutory rape for this year.
Commander Simon made the revelation during a recent episode of “Police and You”.
Region Five Regional Commander Kurleigh Simon
The Commander noted that so far, statutory rape is a major crime that his district is currently battling.
“When we look at other serious crimes, murders, robberies, burglary, break and enter and larceny, those figures are actually in the negative but contrastingly, we have a 300 per cent increase in rape,” he said.
As of May 31 last year, Commander Simon said there had been only three reported cases of rape in the region. However, in the same period for this year, there have been 12 reported cases, tripling the numbers this year.
“The issue continues to be children below the age of consent being involved in sexual activity, of those 12 reported cases, 10 are of a statutory nature, meaning the female is below the stipulated age of consent,” the Commander said.
He said of the reported cases of statutory rape, seven include both the male and females who were teenagers.
To curb further increases in these cases, the Commander said they have been engaging several communities with the help of the Schools Welfare Department, Rights of the Child Commission, and the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
“Every month we have a representative going around with the Rights of the Child Commission to various areas in the region to have those engagements.”
The Commander also called on parents to properly guide their children in the right direction. He noted many of these cases are only reported to Police when it is brought to the parents’ attention that their child/children are involved in sexual activities.
“I could only appeal to parents to be more vigilant with their children and ask that the wider community take on that responsibility of giving good guidance,” the Commander said. (G9)
