Latest update December 4th, 2024 2:40 AM
Rape accused still to be tried after 19 years, another sitting in jail 11 years
– as sexual offence cases for Demerara assizes
It appears as though Roy Rahaman has been languishing in jail since 2007 on charges of buggery and carnal knowledge of a girl under 15.
Documents obtained from the High Court in Georgetown reveal that Rahaman was charged on March 10, 2007 for the offences he allegedly committed on September 24, 2007.
Magistrate Mrs. H. O. Hamilton committed him to stand trial for the offence in July 2009. But according to court documents, the man is still in custody. The offences for which he has been charged are all bailable.
In another instance, one Colin Smith who allegedly raped a girl under the age of 12 on February 22, 1999 is still to stand trial. His case is 19 years old, and court records show that he posted bail. 
He was arraigned before Magistrate R. Rooplall a month after the crime was allegedly committed.
About four months later, he was committed to stand trial. Information shows that in some instances, persons were committed to stand trial for various sexual offences since 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.
However, they are still waiting to face a judge and jury. Hopefully, they will get the chance to do so at the ongoing session of the Demerara Assizes, which opened last week Tuesday at the High Court in Georgetown.
Over 200 cases have been listed for trial at this session. Of the cases, sexual offences have dominated with a staggering 158. Over the past years, there has been a high volume of these cases.
The sexual offences include carnal knowledge of a girl under 15 years, carnal knowledge of a girl under 12 years, buggery, rape, indecent assault of a male, sexual activity with a child family member, sexual activity with a child by abusing a position of trust, sexual assault and incest by male.
A vast majority of the alleged victims are children, with most of the perpetrators being males. Chanderpaul, called Leonard Paul has been indicted for nine counts of rape of a child under 16 years.
Justice Jo Ann Barlow, Sandil Kissoon and James Bovell-Drakes have been rostered for this session. Justice Barlow has been assigned to the Sexual Offences Court.
It is highly unlikely that all of these cases will be disposed of in the ongoing assizes. Hence, majority of them will be pushed over to the next session, which is scheduled to commence in January.
In July, the Child Care and Protection Agency (CPA) announced that it had received a staggering 481 new cases of child sex abuse. Statistics released revealed that 393 were girls, while the other 88 of the victims were boys.
In May, the agency recorded 238 cases of sexual abuse against children under the age of 18.
The CPA, however, noted that while there has been an increase in reports of sex abuse against children, it does not indicate that there is a rise in cases.
Nevertheless, the agency expressed that its massive sensitization campaign has been helping. Through different form of the mass media, the CPA has been reaching out to the populace. It has also facilitated numerous sensitization sessions with members of the community and the Guyana Police Force.
Added to that, since the commissioning of a specialized courtroom for sexual offence at the High Court in Georgetown, there has been a drastic increase in the successful prosecution of cases.
The courtroom is equipped with audio-visual devices to aid the testimony of witnesses. There are two screens in the courtroom that provide the virtual complainants with a more suitable setting to face their alleged perpetrators.
The court is also equipped with microphones.
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