A 33-year-old Berbice man was taken into police custody for reportedly abducting a schoolgirl and sexually assaulting her on Thursday morning.
The matter is also being investigated by the Child Care & Protection Agency (CCPA) and the man is expected to face charges for the offence.
Relatives said the girl who turned 16 the same day was awaiting transportation to go to school when the man stopped and offered her a ride in his car.
She accepted because she knew him from the village and sat in the back seat. But instead of dropping her off at the school street he turned back.
The child asked him where he was going and at first he said that he was going to “pick up something.” He later told her “you know how long ah want you and can’t get you.”
According to the relatives, the man drove several villages away and stopped at a lonely street. The girl managed to prevent the man from raping her after she kept screaming and wrestling with him. He got angry and used expletives at her.
He left the area and stopped at a shop to purchase juice before taking her to school. The girl tried in vain to open the locks on the car. She then decided to send a text to her friends telling them of her ordeal.
They in turn showed the text to a teacher. When the girl arrived at school she related what happened.
The teachers contacted the CCPA and were asked to take the child to their office. The matter was also reported to the police and the man was arrested.
