Disturbing rise in the incidence of rape

Mar 29, 2015 AFC Column, Features / Columnists

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By Latchmin Sarah Punalall,
Chairperson of Women for Change
Within recent months quite a number of women were raped across our country. In recent days, the nation

was thrown for a loop – twice – with consecutive discoveries of two female bodies on the seawall in geographically close communities on the East Coast of Demerara. Investigations are just beginning so it’s too soon to tell whether they were sexually assaulted, but this naturally has been the first assumption.
Many women and girls silently endure the traumatic experience of rape, feeling unable to give voice to their torment and mental torture. Too many of our women have been taught to “stay quiet”.  In some cases, the fear of confronting the abuse is cultural, since rape and other types of sexual abuse are viewed as “a shame to the household and community”.
The building of the fear to speak out usually starts from childhood and is used as a means of safeguarding the girl’s character.  On the other side of the coin, some victims of sexual assault are portrayed negatively, accused of ‘wanting’ the assault, or that they cried ‘rape’ because they were caught or found out.  Too often, while the females are vilified, the rapists are protected, especially when they come from influential families with money and connections.
Sexual trauma has become a hot-button issue in this country. It is no longer the odd event that happens once in awhile.  It is a constant, sore presence and a social problem that has to be confronted by governmental and non-governmental agencies. Trauma occasioned by sexual assault has the potential to become a chronic emotional/mental disease that could last a lifetime.  Too often we hear from a victim, “I just can’t get over it”.  This is a cry for help, an indication that this person is in need of counseling and other types of social and medical interventions.  Beware, unstable minds brought about by sexual assault and other kinds of personal traumatic events have the capacity to disturb the harmony of a family, the peace of an entire community, and the break-up of married couples and strong friendships.  In short, mental disturbances shatter our safe world in the short term.
What must be done to help these victims?  First we have to re-socialize our girls and help them understand that they must speak up as soon as the assault occurs, or if they get the impression that it could happen.  Our communities, towns and city need to have established emergency procedures for rape victims that include police intervention, medical tests and certificates of verification of sexual assault and a variety of reporting mechanisms to connect the medical interveners to social services.  In addition, every responsible adult must be part of the solution. This requires us to be more watchful and willing to offer support rather than condemn the victims.
With regard to the rapists or those showing potential to commit crimes of this nature, how do we help them?  Some of these people may themselves be drugs, alcohol or pornography abusers.  Others just discharge overt or covert hatred for certain people of the same or opposite sex, while some demonstrate inappropriate behaviour whenever they encounter particularly vulnerable young women or even boys.  There must be institutions and trained people placed or living in every community to whom victims, potential victims and observers could turn to make reports or to sensitize parents. It really does take a community to mould a child into a well rounded, confident adult.
For decades these services that are so necessary for maintaining peaceful, harmonious communities have been sorely lacking.  Our people have lost touch with their individual and collective responsibilities for each other’s welfare, and for the development of their communities.
The Coalition comprises six community-focused parties determined to promote self-development and we recognize that we have to start at the beginning.  This process will be arduous and it requires the buy-in of every Guyanese who recognizes the need to protect our young and the well-being of our living spaces.
There have been new inventions and modern styles of intervention already implemented in the developing and developed world which we would be wise to emulate.   We have learnt of a modern service provider called a traumatologist.  These are highly trained personnel who function in medical centres to provide counseling and other types of guiding services.  Guyana needs people of this calibre positioned in our medical institutions across the nation.  Of course, the quality of services provided by medical centres in the inland regions would first have to be upgraded to acceptable standards.
One of our guiding principles is to “confront organized crime and redress the breakdown of law and order”. Encapsulated in this mandate is the protection of all citizens in the workplace, in the privacy of their homes, at recreational events or as they travel around on legitimate business.
This responsibility comes with the title of “Government”.

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