Sexual Assault at Raghoo’s Bar: DJ, selector slapped with incitement charged, remanded to prison

Two men were on Monday charged with incitement in connection with the recent sexual assault incident at Raghoo’s Bar at Soesdyke, which sparked public outrage and led to the closure of the establishment.
Leon Defreitas, 36, a DJ of Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke-Linden Highway and Ryan Rajnarine, 30, an Office Assistant and “Music Selector” from Soesdyke Back Road, appeared before Magistrate Wanda Fortune at the Friendship Magistrate’s Court.
The charge of incitement was read to them in relation to their alleged roles during the sexual assault, which occurred in full view of patrons and was later circulated on social media. Defreitas and Rajnarine were not required to enter a plea and were subsequently remanded to prison.

The case has been adjourned to August 18 as investigation continues.
Police on Saturday confirmed that the young woman was taken to the Timehri Police Station to file a report. The victim alleged that she was drugged and sexually assaulted by three men at the bar. In light of this incident, the bar was shut down, with the Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud stating that it should remain permanently closed. Meanwhile, the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) has said that, “this act is not only a vile crime but a blatant violation of human dignity and a chilling reminder of the systemic violence faced by Indigenous women in Guyana”.
On Friday, Minister Persaud condemned the incident in a public statement calling the footage “most reprehensible.”
“It was most reprehensible to see persons filming the incident rather than helping this woman, and the DJ encouraging the perpetrator to perform lewd acts on the victim,” Dr Persaud stated. “I immediately alerted the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Ministry of Home Affairs; and the Ministry of Human Services has been collaborating with them to address this reprehensible incident.”
The Ministry of Human Services has since pledged full support to the victim, while also urging members of the public not to share the video, citing that doing so would further violate the victim’s rights.

Meanwhile, the Home Affairs Ministry also issued a statement expressing deep concern over the circulating videos and confirmed that the GPF has launched a formal investigation into the incident. Police have also appealed to members of the public to refrain from spreading the video and instead share any relevant information with law enforcement. Witnesses are encouraged to contact the 4B Divisional Headquarters at Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD) or report to the nearest police station.