Dear Editor,

The recent exposure in Stabroek News of the horrendous case of a 17-year-old girl being brutally raped and then attempting to commit suicide rather than endure the continuing travesty of a justice system which is inadequate, unjust, unworkable and irrelevant reveals in no uncertain terms the need to have the new Sexual Offences Act enacted and functioning immediately, as one step towards ending the abuse that victims of violence suffer.

However, it is not only the inadequacies of the law which this case reveals, but also the corruption and denial of justice presently operating in the investigation of cases of rape and sexual offences in Guyana, as well as a failed support system for survivors of rape and sexual assault.

We call on the Guyana Police Force to explain why they waited until the teenager attempted suicide to charge Mr Mark Forde, the ex-policeman who was alleged to have brutally raped her in October of 2008 – 8 months ago!

We also call on the Force to inform the public whether it is true, as reported in the Kaieteur News of June 24, 2009, that they intend to charge suicide survivors. The Guyana Police Force would be committing a further injustice against this girl and her brother, who have reportedly both survived suicide attempts, if this proved true. In a country riddled with crime and violence, and where we are constantly told that the justice system has inadequate resources, surely it cannot be true that any of these resources would be used to charge and prosecute people who have done no harm to others, and whose attempted self-harm is a further indictment of our systems?

The Coalition Against Sexual Offences repeats in no uncertain terms – and we intend to repeat it loudly and regardless of objections from any quarter – that we find it unacceptable that children and teenagers throughout Guyana are being forced every day to endure the denial of their basic human rights for a fair and impartial trial.

We commend the family of this girl for their bravery in exposing the reality of the justice system in Guyana and pledge our support in whatever way possible to her, her family and others facing similar injustices.

Yours faithfully,
Danuta Radzik
Vidyaratha Kissoon
Andaiye
Karen de Souza
For the Coalition
Against Sexual Offences
Against Children