Dear Editor
The Sheriff Night Club should be shut down. Imagine that it harboured a gang of men who attacked, beat and sexually assaulted its patrons, including a minor, then casually went back into the bar.
The owners of this bar should be charged with being an accessory to this crime. We are calling on them to explain the behaviour of their establishment to the people of Guyana.
This incident is a clear indication that there was no proactive police patrol on Sheriff Street. Imagine this major bar strip without security in the World Cup period! The police need to answer to the public about what they have done to get these criminals behind bars. There is just no excuse. It is not acceptable to treat this as a routine police matter.
The police also need to answer whether they have a coordinated system with night club security to prevent the escalation of problems at night clubs – clearly not. So much for all the ado about tourism.
The rest of Guyana must be grieving to know that we have among our citizenry men and women who would not come to the aid of a family being beaten – including the woman and her child who were stripped and publicly assaulted by some 20 men. Surely it could happen to any of us. No one could have called the police? The taxi that they were dragged out of could not radio his base to raise the police? No one could go and fetch the police?
Then, imagine a taxi driver who lacked the humanity to take these victims to the hospital without immediate pay. This is the behaviour of occupants of an animal pen not citizens of a proud country.
As of today, March 28, not one religious leader or Government official has spoken out against such vile immorality and wanton law breaking in our country. A teenage girl and her mother bore the brunt of this gang assault in full view on Sherriff Street but the Ministry responsible for Human Services and Social Security has not yet had a word to say to the public. In any other country there would be immediate public outcry and results from the authorities responsible. How can we expect Guyana to move forward when the leaders of this country display no public moral consciousness or interest in law and order?
Yours faithfully,
Simone Mangal, Raquel
Thomas, Sharon Arjune,
Roxroy Bollers,
Anand Roopsind,
Anthony Cummings,
Colette McDermott,
Farida Walli
Editor’s note
We are sending a copy of this letter to the owner of the Sheriff Night Club for any comments she may wish to make.
