The country continues to be a hostile environment for children

Dear Editor,

Once again, an abysmal state of sexual sordidness has engulfed the nation. Additionally, the acts have become more vicious and the perpetrators bolder. According to Nelson Mandela, “Our children are the rock on which our future will be built, our greatest asset as a nation. They will be the leaders of our country, the creators of our national wealth who care for and protect our people”. Such a statement seemingly does not ring true, as recent events have relegated the children to anything but the creators of national wealth. Have their positions been usurped since the advent of black gold.

The country continues to be a hostile environment for children, and we are challenged to strengthen our resolve to care, protect and create a happy environment for children. Recently in Bartica, Region Seven, a seven year old child was discovered some distance away from her home, bloodied, muddied, unconscious and sexually assaulted. If her age, and the fact that she was taken advantage of is not enough to sicken your innards, then throw in for a greater heave the reality that the sexual predator was the victim’s 15 year old relative, who has a history of disturbing behaviour including the sexual assault of poultry (avisodomy).

One is left wondering, the rationale underlying the villagers’ reluctance to bring the sexual deviance to the attention of the appropriate authorities, and have the deviant dealt with, which perhaps may have prevented commission of the present vulgar act. Recently in Bradford, England, a man was jailed for three years for committing an act of penetration with chickens. During the trial, the Crown Court judge said the actions of the accused would make a right-thinking person “sick to their stomach”. In sentencing, Judge Richard Mansell QC said the offending was “depraved, perverted and despicable”, the BBC reported.
In January, Sexual Offences Court judge Simone Morris-Ramlall, sentenced Linden resident
Keon Lawson to 20 years behind bar for sexually assaulting a nine-year-old girl on two occasions. Sentencing had been deferred to facilitate the presentation of a probation report, which told the court that the rapist had dropped out of school when he was in the eighth grade.

Are we to assume that had his stay been longer then sex would not have been on his mind or is it a case of what school got to do with it? Again, in Region 6, a 14-year-old was impregnated by her stepfather, much to the disbelief of her mother. She has delivered, and the results of a DNA test is awaited to confirm paternity.

In an interview conducted in October 2017, the director of Child Care and Protection Agency, (CCPA) Ann Greene stated that within the first six months of 2017, 424 cases of sexual abuse were reported and addressed by her Agency .The director also announced plans for a registry of sex offenders especially since in 2015 the Caribbean Voice, an overseas based non-governmental organisation, had forwarded signed petitions to the Government of Guyana requesting the initiation of a Sex Offenders Registry. In a 2019 article Hajji Dr. Roshan Khan, Chairman/Founder of RK’s Guyana Security Service made an impassioned plea wherein he voiced his support for castration (chemical or surgical) as the deterrent for paedophilia, in support of an article written in 2017 by this writer, calling for the selfsame mode of punishment. Let it be known that castration is still a mode of punishment in 7 states in America.
On November 20, countries the world over celebrated World Children’s Day which offers each of us an inspirational entry-point to advocate, promote and celebrate children’s rights, translating into dialogues and actions that will build a better world for children.

These sexual incidences are a microcosm of a bigger problem facing Guyana, therefore the needed approach is to involve multiple stakeholders in coming up with intervention programmes that will circumvent the many challenges faced by children, the most vulnerable and fragile members of our society. Sexual assault of these young victims impacts not only the victims, but also family as well as society as a whole.
Home and schools have an important role to play in the prevention process. All children need techniques to challenge rape culture and to learn how to deal with inappropriate comments, unwanted touching, coercion, and assault, and prevention of sexual violence starts with what we teach our boys. By no means is education alone a panacea, but it is without doubt a good start. Education like all good preventative measures should begin early and take place regularly. It should extend beyond what girls can do to prevent being victims, to the attitudes that boys have about women and about masculinity.

Guyanese currently inhabit a society where violence against women—both in action and in speech—is prevalent, and it is reasonable for those who care about women and girls to worry about their safety. The lingering question is as girls are being given this advice, what are boys and men being taught?
Once again, mothers, fathers, teachers, society activists, religious leaders, and the current government are called upon to spring into action and rid the country of this sordid affliction.
Parents and Teachers—Educate; Doctors and Psychiatrists—Medicate; Government—Legislate; Magistrates and Judges—Incarcerate; Religious leaders and the Clergy—Sermonize; and to the General Public—Do not Hesitate to report any Degenerate.

Yours truly,
Y. Sam.