Minister maintains there was no recent breakout at NOC

Apr 23, 2014 News

…amid allegations of inmates being sexually harassed

Contrary to reports carried in an article by an online news outfit that 16 youngsters escaped from the New Opportunity Corps (NOC), over sexual harassment, Minister of Culture Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony is maintaining that apart from the one in 2012, there has been no recent escape from the juvenile detention facility.
According to the article, the teenagers, who tried to escape about two weeks ago, are now being held at a holding Centre in Sophia, Greater Georgetown, awaiting a May 2014 court case. The news site reported on some troubling allegations made by a couple, who are claiming that their 15-year-old daughter had told them that she was being sexually harassed by male staffers and older male inmates at the institution in Essequibo.
The article stated that the parents were not satisfied with how the ‘break out’ was handled, noting that instead of calling in the police, NOC staffers sent the older male inmates to search for the escapees.
It was reported that after being caught, three other females were molested before being returned to the juvenile detention facility.
The news item further read, “The parents noted that the authorities at the institution never informed them that these children who ranged between ages 14 – 17 were being passed through the Court system and speculated that efforts may have been afoot to cover up the issue.”
The parents also reportedly claimed that when they visited the institution after learning about the incident, they were treated with hostility by staffers there.
The article also quoted the teen’s mother as saying that her daughter has been “crying all the time.” It was stated too that the inmates are scheduled to return to the Suddie Magistrate’s Court on May 2.
Despite this, Dr. Anthony is maintaining that ever since the violent breakout two years ago, there has been no such incident. The Minister said that he is looking into the issue, and will respond today with a press statement.
It should be noted that last November, authorities launched a probe into circumstances that led to at least three female inmates of the New Opportunity Corps becoming pregnant.
Prior to this, a number of youngsters, ages 14- 16, went on a violent rampage to escape from the NOC, claiming that they were being ill-treated by staff members. The teenagers stormed through several communities, armed with cutlasses and other weapons. A female dormitory and a workshop within the compound were set alight. Some 17 young ladies who were housed in that dorm had to be relocated.
Subsequent to the rampage, some of the inmates claimed that they had reached a breaking point, after being abused for months.
A senior Ministry of Culture official had however stated that none of the juveniles made any such allegations to a team, which had visited the centre prior to the escape.
After receiving a number of conflicting statements, a Commission of Inquiry (COI) was set up to investigate the circumstances surrounding the escape. It has been almost a year, and the results have not yet been revealed.

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Minister maintains there was no recent breakout at NOC

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