Since the beginning of the year, the Judiciary has been dealing very effectively and efficiently with a number of cases brought before it with respect to serious sexual offences committed on underage children of both sexes.
If one were to look at the pattern of sentencing when the perpetrators are found guilty after a lengthy trial, one would recognise that the sentences are meant to serve as a deterrent and a strong signal being sent to our society that such acts of gross indecency — which violate the very moral fabric of society and endanger our young people — would not be tolerated or allowed to go unpunished.
The Judiciary should therefore be congratulated; and more resources should flow in its direction, to ensure that the courts’ capacity is boosted to tackle all issues related to sexual offences committed, particularly against minors. Because this is, of course, a massive improvement in the status quo in Guyana as far as the dispensation of justice is concerned.
Unfortunately, the courts can do only so much, and the real problem is still not being addressed so as to cause a massive reduction in the cases of child sexual abuse and rape. The truth is that many boys who experience rape at the hands of adults and their peers are not getting the type of support and justice they deserve.
Recall that, back in 2017, Guyanese were thrown into despair after becoming aware of circumstances which led to the death of 13-year-old Leonard Archibald, who was brutally sodomised by two men from his community. His body was dumped aback the community and left exposed to the extremities of the environment, only to be discovered days after by a search party.
Since the incident, members of the Brothers (and Sisters) village, where the lad resided, have come forward demanding justice. They had also accused the Police in their district of inaction on a number of previous reports made against one of the two men who have been arraigned for the murder of young Leonard. This incident also saw other boys who were victims of rape, assault and intimidation coming forward to tell their harrowing tales.
In response, both the Government and Police Force have expressed concern and outrage following the lad’s death. Various stakeholders have strongly condemned the rape and buggery of our boys. Suddenly, calls resurfaced for stronger legislation against child sex offenders and paedophiles.
But this sort of knee-jerk reaction exposes the sad reality of the kind of society that we live in. It also highlights the core of the bigger problem, while further bringing the double-standard and shocking levels of hypocrisy of human nature to the fore. Leonard did not have to die. Those boys who were brutally abused did not have to go through those traumatic experiences. The probes ongoing now into the conduct of the Police ranks in the district and their handling of previous rape and buggery accusations would not have been necessary if there were a functional system of monitoring and evaluating the work of the lawmen in cases like these — wherein serious allegations are being levied about cases being “ducked” or ignored.
While no one is willing to admit it, as a society, we are fully responsible for Leonard’s death. We are all guilty of inaction as far as doing much more to adequately protect our boys from rape and buggery is concerned. We are all accountable for the failure to safeguard the wellbeing of all our children.
The truth is that there are, across the country, many Leonard Archibalds whose stories have never been told. There are many young boys who have been scarred for life following the sexual overtures that are made constantly by supposedly heterosexual adult males who prey on the innocence of these minors. Dare it be said that there also are homosexual males who have a special appetite for underage boys and children. The victim is usually the boy down the road, or the child next door whose parents usually leave him unsupervised, because he is a “boy” and is deemed “capable of defending himself” from those kinds of attacks.
When the sexual assault occurs, the shame and concern about the boy’s image or future force some of these families to remain silent. Fathers, too, whose sons were victims, also fear the impact reporting and highlighting the act would have on the perceived masculinity of their sons. So, to protect them, they do nothing, but place on their sons the obligation to become “hard men” while suppressing every emotion they perceive to be feminine.
Guyana does not need more complex laws to tackle the issues raised, or to prevent paedophiles from hurting our children. We need stricter enforcement of the laws that exist, as a first step towards protecting our children. We need more national programmes aimed at educating communities about the laws that protect children, as a deterrent to those with such an inclination. We need campaigns aimed at ending the “hush-hush” culture.
There is need for boys to be treated equally as girls when it comes to allegations of sexual molestation, buggery of underage boys, rape, and sexual assault. Boys must be taught not to be “hard men” who repress their emotions, but men who express them. We must teach our boys to love and protect each other. They must speak out against any uninvited attempt to touch them inappropriately by another male or female. They must know there is no shame, but integrity, in exposing perpetrators of rape and sexual abuse.
More training of the male-dominated Police Force to respond professionally and swiftly to reports of rape must be compulsory. The Government must take a stand, too, and more research must be conducted on making other interventions to protect the male child.
Finally, society must disabuse itself of the viewpoint that all homosexuals are paedophiles. Those men who killed Leonard do not identify as gay or bisexual; they are products of a society that has failed to instill in them proper mores, values and traditions. We have failed them, too, because they appear confused about their sexuality and troubled mentally. If they can look at a 13-year-old boy or any underage child as sexually attractive, they must not just be left to rot in jail; they must be rehabilitated and reformed.
