Police probing alleged rape of girl, 11, at BV lock ups

The Guyana Police Force says an investigation is underway into the alleged sexual assault of an 11-year-old girl by a policeman at the Beterverwagting Police Station lockups where the child was being held as a remand prisoner.

The police statement follows a Guyana Times article yesterday on the matter which allegedly occurred on Sunday at Strathspey, ECD. According to the police, the child had been charged with wandering and had been remanded into police custody pending a probation report. The force also sought to deny several assertions in the newspaper article.

“Investigations so far have revealed that at about 18:20h on Sunday. January 30, 2011, the prisoner was allowed out of the lockups and placed to sit in the Enquiries Office in order to eat dinner which had been brought to the station by her father and during this time she managed to walk out of the station unnoticed by the rank on duty.

“She was subsequently found at her father’s home at Strathspey and taken back into police custody where the allegation of being sexually assaulted by a policeman was made. The girl was found in the same clothes that she wore at the time of her escape from the Police Station and contrary to reports carried in the Guyana Times yesterday, there was no trace of blood on the garments,” the release stated.

According to the police, so far the girl has not been able to identify the man whom she claimed to be a policeman, who allegedly committed the act nor has she been able to identify the location where the incident allegedly occurred.

“Following the report made the eleven-year-old was medically examined which revealed that she had a ruptured/perforate hymen and bruises on both legs. However an earlier medical examination on January 19, 2011, during investigations into the charge of wandering against her, had also revealed that her hymen was ruptured at that time,” the statement continued.

The minor yesterday appeared before Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the Cove and John Magistrate Court and was released into the custody of her mother as the investigations continue. Meanwhile, the police say the absence of a female subordinate officer who was supposed to be on duty at the Beterverwagting Police Station at the time is being dealt with and the police constable who was on duty has been placed under close arrest pending investigations into permitting prisoner to escape.

“Again, contrary to a report carried in yesterday’s Guyana Times the rank has not been placed under close arrest for allegedly raping another female who was in the lockups at the Beterverwagting Police Station at the time. No such report or allegation has been made by the prisoner,” the statement concluded.