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Woman transferred following sexual assault allegation in Region Three

Jul 04, 2013 News

 
– official still on the job
The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) has launched an investigation into the alleged sexual assault of one of its members who has been working as an accounts clerk in the Region Three Democratic Council office.
Representative, Monica Walters and Senior Industrial relations officer, Dennis English, are investigating the matter of a high-ranking Council official allegedly fondling one of his female staffers.
The 37-year-old mother of three has accused the official of making sexual overtures and making physical passes at her.
The industrial relations officer told Kaieteur News that the two-member team was dispatched to the region for the second time to gather information on the matter. So far, he said, the union has spoken to several senior workers who were alleged to have known about the allegations made by the victim. Several low level staffers have also been contacted as the information gathering process continues.
English said however, that the union is very unhappy that the official is still on the job, and even more peeved that the victim is being transferred to another location to work.
He told Kaieteur News that the union and the region officials have come to loggerheads over the victim’s transfer to the West Demerara Regional Hospital. He said that the union sees the move as a means of “victimizing and intimidating” the woman since public service rules mandates that the official be sent on leave once the matter is being investigated by the police.
He said that a move like that is actually harming the victim and making her uncomfortable now that she is the one to be moved. Additionally, the official should not be in the same environment where the act was allegedly occurred, he said.
The letter signed by the principal personnel officer read; that he was directed to inform the accountant that with effect from 2013-07-03, she would be required to report to the West Demerara Hospital where she would be assigned relevant duties as she continued to service the Regional Administration.
English said, however, that the regional officials are aware of the public service rules and it is unclear why they should make such a move. He pointed out that no matter the level of the worker, the same rules apply.  English stated further, that the union head Patrick Yarde has also engaged the regional chairman urging that the woman not be transferred. But to no avail.
The Regional administration has however, defended that the Council had earlier been involved in employee rotation and the woman was already slated to be transferred.
Local Government Permanent Secretary Collin Croal backed up the Council on that note stating that he “knows for sure” that the victim had to be transferred to the hospital come July. Croal said that the victim’s transfer had nothing to do with the allegations made, but that a decision was taken earlier “to remove the woman because of her attitude.”
He said, too, that now that the issue is in the police domain, the ministry has allowed for the relevant criminal investigations.
The Permanent Secretary added that he is aware that the official who has been accused, has also given a report to the police denying the allegations. Other officials have also given statements to the police; while the Deputy Regional Officer has also denied receiving any reports from the female victim about the alleged sexual assault by the council official.
The female victim told police officers that it was not the first time the official had made passes at her. She said that she made numerous reports to senior officials including the Deputy Regional Executive Officer and the principal personnel officer, but she was repeatedly told to be careful and that the accusations were serious.
The official against whom the allegation has been made, was briefly detained late last week but was later released on $20,000 bail. The police say that they are in the information compilation stage of their investigations.

 

 

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