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Shut down NOC – say Human rights activists
…demand release of inquiry report
In the wake of the recent breakout and allegations of female students being sexually harassed at the New Opportunity Corps (NOC), at Onderneeming, human rights activists are calling for the elimination of the institution.
They believe that there are countless glaring indications that the juvenile detention facility is not serving its intended purpose— to rehabilitate and reintegrate troubled children back into society.
A section of the protestors at yesterday’s demonstration.
To make their points known, representatives from several Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), including Red Thread, Help and Shelter and the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD), gathered in front of the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport on Main Street, Georgetown, yesterday.
They all bore placards reading, “Where is the COI 2012 report on NOC?” “Dr. Frank Anthony, release findings now,” and “Minister Frank Anthony, we want independent investigations into reports of sexual abuse at NOC.”
Danuta Radzik of Help and Shelter said that she was highly upset about the recent accusations against NOC staffers. This is incredibly worrying, she added.
She firmly believes that an investigation should be launched into the most recent sexual assault allegations, and should be handled by independent professionals who have no connection to the institution.
Radzik believes that only youngsters with serious criminal records should be sent to NOC. It makes no sense having children with minor matters sent to a “correctional” facility, she said.
Her sentiments were echoed by Mark Benschop, who spearheaded the call for the institution to be totally abolished.
“It is not safe,” he stressed.
Benschop told Kaieteur News that while youngsters are sent to the facility to be counseled and trained to become better people, situations there result in them coming out “ten times worse.”
“So what is the purpose? Why do we still have it running?” Benschop queried.
Joel Simpson of SASOD noted that while it is commendable that Guyana has modern laws governing the rights of children, these are not being properly implemented and enforced.
“There should be a child protection officer there at NOC, so that we know that there is someone there who has the best interest of the children at heart,” Simpson said.
He believes that comments by Minister Anthony, who asked that complaints be made to the police, were insensitive.
“Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, is obviously incapable of doing anything, so I’m asking that Minister Anthony step up and do something. He must respond in a sober manner to these sensitive issues,” Simpson maintained.
After saying that he was not aware of any recent breakout at NOC, Dr. Anthony last month, confirmed that from March 22 to March 24, a total of 11 inmates —-seven boys and four girls, managed to escape from the detention centre. The females claimed that they escaped a life of sexual abuse. This matter is currently engaging the Suddie Magistrate’s Court.
Last November, authorities launched a probe into circumstances that led to at least three female inmates of the institution becoming pregnant.
Prior to this, a number of youngsters, aged between 14 and 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.
Some of the inmates subsequently claimed that they had reached 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 that visited the centre prior to the escape.
After receiving a number of conflicting statements, a Commission of Inquiry (COI) was set up. It has been almost two years, and the results have not yet been revealed.
Meanwhile, in relation to the most recent allegations, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s Christopher Jones said that he does not understand why the Minister has not yet launched an investigation into the matter.
“For reasons best known to the Minister, he is not putting his foot down,” Jones said.
Jones’s colleague, Trevor Williams, said, “It might be time for us to have separate institutions for males and females separated by geographic space enough to eliminate contact.”
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