Authorities seldom successfully prosecute domestic violence’s cases- US state report

Mar 11, 2014 News

– many incidents are not reported to law enforcement

Although the laws of Guyana criminalize rape, including spousal rape, many incidents are not reported to law enforcement. This statement comes from the US State Department Report on Human Rights.
The report, which was recently released, stressed that authorities seldom successfully prosecuted cases that were reported. “Based on media reports and commentary, there was a high incidence of rape and sexual assault not reflected in official statistics and many survivors did not report rapes, presumably because of fear of stigma, retribution, or further violence,” the report said.
According to the report, during 2012 authorities charged 102 persons with rape, but only 28 were convicted, due in part to the large court backlog.
Additionally, in 2012 authorities charged 89 persons with statutory rape, and four were convicted (including persons charged in preceding years). A judge has discretion to issue a sentence of any length in a rape conviction, depending upon the circumstances and severity of the act committed. The norm appeared to be a sentence of five to 10 years’ imprisonment.
The report went on to state that domestic violence and violence against women, including spousal abuse, was widespread and crossed racial and socioeconomic lines. Although the law prohibits domestic violence and allows victims to seek prompt protection, occupation, or tenancy orders from a magistrate.
It was explained that court reports have shown that there were 279 domestic violence cases filed during 2012, with 143 persons convicted. Penalties for violation of protection orders included fines up to $10,000 of US ($49.50) and 12 months’ imprisonment.
It was noted that survivors frequently were unwilling to press charges due to a lack of confidence in obtaining a remedy through the courts. “Some such persons preferred to reach a pecuniary settlement out of court,” the report said.
An issue raised was the fact that there were reports of police accepting bribes and other reports of magistrates applying inadequate sentences after conviction. In addition, cases heard involving violation of a protective order tended to be categorized as assault cases.
The report said that access to contraception and skilled attendance at delivery and in postpartum care was widely available.
The UN Population Fund reported a contraceptive prevalence rate of 43 percent and an estimated maternal mortality ratio in 2010 (latest data available) of 280 deaths per 100,000 live births; 87 percent of births were attended by skilled health personnel.
According to UN estimates, 40 percent of women ages 15 to 49 were using a modern method of contraception. Media reports highlighted cases where severe bleeding after childbirth and hypertensive disorders resulted in maternal deaths, leading to the high maternal mortality ratio. The media also highlighted cases where nurses ignored family members’ complaints about lack of prompt attention, leading in some cases to sickness or death.
Women and men had equal access to diagnostic services and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS the report stated.

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Authorities seldom successfully prosecute domestic violence’s cases- US state report

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