Is the Justice System in Guyana – ‘justice or just us?’

May 27, 2009 Letters

Dear Editor,
I have always been an avid admirer of literary works, irrespective of their source and intent, but of recent months, I have been inundated with some of the most irresponsible forms of journalism, concerning the criminal activities, which seem to have been rearing their ugly heads in Guyana again and which have been creating unmentionable fear in our society, mainly on the Eastern Coast of Demerara and mostly between the female population.
What I speak about is the violent episodes, which Courtney James allegedly unleashed on many unsuspecting residents of the Lower East Coast, and many of them females who were victims of James’ barbaric “sexual fantasies”
I must at this stage say, “hats off” to the excellent work of the Police, but still, I am of the opinion that there would have been more kudos for them, had they been able to capture him alive and bring him to face the full force of the arms of the Justice System. It leaves many persons to wonder, why is it that most of these notorious criminals are never brought to justice, to be tried by their peers, as justice demands? Instead they are tried by persons, “street Justice”, who have the power to, “stop, search and detain”.
These types of behaviours usually leave a lot more to be desired of the Guyana Police Force and its training instructors, are they not efficient enough now, to train policemen, like they did in the olden days, to go out and be efficient enough to arrest criminals, place them before the courts and allow them to be tried by persons who are designated and qualified to do just that, or are our policemen being trained to be, “on the spot” Judge, Jury and Executioners”
Any person, who is enjoying the services of their full mental faculties and is living in Guyana, will never condone the nefarious activities of Courtney James. I am certain all of those women he raped, will forever bear the scars of those horrendous moments, when their dignities were violated by someone so ruthless and unscrupulous as James. Equally so, I must say are those persons whom he chose to rob, (mainly men), they also, I am sure are traumatized and maybe cannot sleep or walk at nights, without the fear of another Courtney James, arising out of the woodwork or parapet.
It is a sad state of affairs in Guyana now, when we as Citizens, cannot be afforded the opportunities to venture out at nights on a peaceful moonlight walk, whether by ourselves or in the company of our loved-ones, without the knowing fear that one or more than one Courtney James will emerge and in the end our lives may be snuffed out or we be made to suffer irreparable damage to our bodies and more pathetic our minds.
It is well know on a psychological basis that, “The Fear of The Unknown”, is the worse type of fear and this fear, more often than not can lead to a mental breakdown or Hypertension, commonly called, “Blood pressure’.
Now, Dear Editor, please allow me to revert to the main issue of my letter, it is concerning the arrest of a policewoman, according to the News Media, for not knowing Courtney James was living, quote on quote, hiding out in a house next to her in the lowly village of Haslington, situated on the Eastern Coast of Demerara, a community densely populated by persons of African Ancestry.
According to more than one of the newspapers in Guyana, the poor policewoman was arrested because the authorities, and I assume the authorities would mean the administration of the Police Force, are of the opinion that she, (the policewoman) should have been aware that Courtney James was residing, (hiding out) next to her, due to the fact that there was a “Wanted Bulletin” issued for him.
After the policewoman was arrested and the newspaper articles were printed, my old thinking cap was immediately activated and caused my mind to be thrown back in time for the last seven years, back to February 2002, when there was an alleged, “Infamous Jail Break”, in which five
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Is the Justice System in Guyana – ‘justice or just us?’

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