Sexually abused 5-year-old unable to identify perpetrator

Feb 19, 2014 News

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“…it is understandable that she got confused”- Tuschen Policing Group member

The sexually abused five-year-old, who was rescued from a schoolyard earlier this month, is unable to identify the perpetrator.
This is according to Director of Child Care Services, Ann Greene, who, during a brief interview with Kaieteur News yesterday, explained that an identification parade was done a few days ago.
Greene said that Child Protection Officers are monitoring the situation closely, and that police are also continuing their investigations.
Meanwhile, a member of the Tuschen Policing Group, who was involved in uncovering the case by rescuing the child from the schoolyard, believes that the identification parade only served to confuse the little girl.
“They had nuff li’l, li’l children lined up for the child to choose from, and I think that at that age, it is understandable that she got confused,” the man said.
He explained that while the official police investigation is ongoing, information reaching him suggests that the accused might be between the ages of 12 and 14.
“The group doing we own li’l investigation, and I was made to understand that from the medical reports and so, the official investigators believe that the rapist got to be a young boy,” the Tuschen Policing Group member told Kaieteur News yesterday.
Earlier this month, the members of the aforementioned group were in for high praise after their efforts resulted in the rescue of the five year-old girl, from the clutches of her alleged rapists.
According to reports, the policing group was notified at around 19:30hrs one night that a child was left alone in the compound of the community’s primary school. Responding swiftly to complaints, a few of the group’s members rushed over to the school where they uplifted the child.
Kaieteur News understands that the little girl was left in the care of an aunt, after her mother ventured off into the interior location for work. The aunt later followed the mother, leaving the child in the care of two friends, living in two separate parts of the community.
The Tuschen Policing Group member related that after finding the child sitting alone at a corner of the school building, he and his colleagues tried to find out where the girl lived. However, at this point, the child appeared to have been traumatized.
This prompted the rescuers to seek the assistance of those neighbouring to the school.
“A lady living near the school gave us the direction, and said that a taxi does drop the child to school every day,” the man told this publication. He said that upon arriving at the home, the members of the policing group were greeted by a woman who identified herself as the child’s guardian.
“She collected the child, but surprisingly, the lady didn’t even seem like she cared, so we started to question her (the guardian). She tell we that the child living with she almost six months now, because the mother gone to the interior to work.”
The man told Kaieteur News that after realizing that “the child was not pleased to be home”, he summoned the child’s teacher.
“She came, and while all ah we stand in front the door, talking to the woman and so, one ah we group members asked the child if she was okay.” He said that following a brief pause, it was observed that the little girl was pointing to her private parts.
“We had suspicions that something was wrong, and after confirming that, we didn’t allow the child to stay with the woman…We called in the police to look after the matter,” the man told Kaieteur News.
He said that the police responded promptly, and the child was taken to Leonora Cottage Hospital, where a medical examination confirmed that she had been sexually assaulted.
When questioned, the woman denied that the child was abused under her care, stating that the little girl has another guardian.
“She said too that a taxi driver does take the child to and from school every day, so people can’t accuse her alone.”
Following the woman’s statement, the other female guardian along with the male taxi driver were taken into police custody, but later released.
Kaieteur News learnt that following the arrests, the child indicated that she was being sexually abused by the son of one of her guardians. Nonetheless, ever since the intervention of Child Care Services shortly after the police report was made, the abused child has been in the care of a teacher.
Child Care & Protection Agency Director Ann Greene said that officers attached to her agency have been working diligently in favour of the abused child.
Meanwhile, the matter has been forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions for advice.

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