Massive sensitization programme on the cards

May 28, 2010 News

By Gary Eleazar

The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security is currently formulating a massive sensitization campaign as it relates to the new Sexual Offences Law.
This was confirmed yesterday by Minister Priya Manickchand who told this newspaper that the programme will be all-encompassing.
The Minister said that the campaign, apart from targeting the average citizen, will have specific focus on members of the Guyana Police Force, Prosecutors, members of the Guyana Bar Association and Magistrates, among others.
President Bharrat Jagdeo assented to the Sexual Offences Bill on Monday last, bringing it one step closer to becoming law.
The document now has to be published in the Official Gazette before it is formally a law under which persons could be charged.
The public assenting to the Bill was attended by several Cabinet members, representatives of the judiciary and members of the diplomatic corps. There were also school children and other concerned citizens.
The Bill which was tabled in the National Assembly last year spent nine months with a select committee and featured input from civil society.
The new law broadens the definition of rape as well as increases significantly its penalties.
The law has removed restitution of conjugal rights, thus making it possible for charges to be laid against a husband for raping his wife.
Exposing children to pornography will also attract stiff penalties for perpetrators.
As has been observed over the years where persons have been abusing a position of trust to violate children, the law now takes cognizance of this and provides for stiff penalties.
Historically also, the law provides for Paper Committals, wherein where a person is charged with an offence under this Act, there shall be no oral preliminary inquiry. Instead, a paper committal shall be held in accordance with the procedure set out.
Also under the Sexual Offences Act all reports that fall under the purview of that law will have to be mandatorily investigated.
The Sexual Offences Act states that where an offence under the Act is reported to the police, the police shall, in every case, record the report and conduct an investigation.
It also stipulates that within three months of a complaint being made under subsection a charge shall be laid in respect of the report or the file relating to the report and investigation shall be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions for advice.
The Law also states that failure to comply with subsection will constitute neglect of duty by the Investigating Rank and the Investigating Rank shall be liable to answer disciplinary charges in accordance with the Police (Discipline) Act.

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Massive sensitization programme on the cards

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