Police conduct surprise raid at Bartica nightspot

Jun 18, 2012 News

…nab 11 underaged patrons

Reports of under aged girls engaged in prostitution saw ranks of the Guyana Police Force, Welfare Officers and Social Workers, swooping down and sealing off the Platinum Club on First Avenue, Bartica, on Saturday.
The authorities started their operation at midnight and lasted for well over an hour. During the search, six boys, all students of the Bartica Secondary School, were identified and told to stand in the corner as the police went about identifying a number of females also said to be under aged.
Original reports had suggested that the minors may have been part of a trafficking in persons ring which sparked the attention of the Guyana’s Women Miners’ Organization.
President of the organization Simone Broomes told Kaieteur News that she was aware of the police raid and commended the work of the officers in helping to clamp down of the plaguing social issue of human trafficking and the exploitation of young children. The president said upon hearing the news, she contacted the police and learned of the teens’ detention. She also mentioned that investigations into the night spot’s operations had resulted in closure of the establishment although it is unsure for what period of time.
Officers only disclosed that they were engaged in an operation after drawing strong criticism from patrons who wanted to leave the establishment.
The Police Officers reportedly entered the night spot, asked the DJ to switch off the music and began to make their way to various points, effectively sealing off the establishment. Two male officers even took up their position in the female washroom which saw many females refusing to use the facility.
Female patrons said that they were not using the facility as there were reports of females sexually assaulted at knife point by men standing outside and in some instances by men who hid in the washroom. The officers, one female patron said, told her “come right in babes we gon help you. You must not be afraid; we are police officers”. One officer, she said, was sitting on a toilet bowl while the other was lying on the ground.
Reports are that the owner of the establishment beefed up security after the alleged sexual assaults. Among the security measures in place were that patrons should produce Identification Cards before they are granted entry. There apparently is some truth in that as a girl identified by the officers as a minor, when questioned said that she was eighteen years old, that she lived in Bartica for the last six years, that she was well aware of the establishment’s policy of producing identification but said she had forgotten her ID card.
The said young woman was at the establishment with two other females who were not singled out by the officers.
The girl was indeed 14 years old and the boys were also around the same age group. The police were forced to resort to waiting for their parents to go and pick them up. Authorities later disclosed that the four were all intoxicated.
The two male officers keeping guard at one door refused to allow the young woman to use the bathroom despite her pleas. It was only after several patrons raised their voice and her friends tried to remove her, that the uniformed officer sent for a female officer to escort her to the bathroom.
On the outside of the establishment, officers were body searching patrons who were leaving and were also asking those who appeared young, their age.
A number of Brazilian nationals were told to stand in a corner after they were searched.
Apart from that, the sex trade revelation, the incidence of violent activities and complaints by patrons had also resulted in the police’s attention to the business place.
While the police officers were conducting their searches inside, patrons were seen scurrying for cover on three occasions as bottles were broken and young men were threatening to either kill or cause injures to others.
Police detained the last two. Whether they were released after or taken to the police station is also not known.
Kaieteur News further understands that the minors were taken to the Bartica Police Station where they were questioned and later handed over to their parents. This was not before both parents and children received a stern warning from the police.

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