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CPA, GPF using education to help reduce rape in hinterland communities
By Shervin Belgrave
Kaieteur News – The Child Care and Protection Agency (CPA) is working along with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to educate persons from the hinterland to reduce rape in those areas. According to the GPF’s crime statistics, rape has increased by 62 percent this year. A total of 187 rape cases have been reported to the GPF from January to date.
Deputy Director of the Force’s Corporate Communications Unit (CCU), Stan Gouveia, told Kaieteur News that the majority of this number are cases from the hinterland regions – mainly Regions One, Eight and Nine.
Region Eight Commander, Michael Kingston.
Commander of Region Eight, Michael Kingston, during an episode of ‘Police and You’ that was broadcast on Tuesday last, stated that the root cause of rape in his district is culture.
In an effort to stop or reduce rape in the area, Kingston highlighted that he is working along with a plan to educate villagers that they must change their culture.
The commander revealed that last year, there were six cases of rape in the area but this year that number has increased to 19.
So far, Kingston said, they have been able to arrest some of the perpetrators while some still remain at large.
He added that some of the accused would move to other villages in the interior and because of the remoteness of these areas, photos of the suspects are difficult to obtain in order to issue a wanted bulletin.
Nevertheless, the commander said that in dealing with rape matters, he has been collaborating with the Child Care and Protection Agency, Child link and Blossom Inc.
Director, Childcare and Protection Agency, Anne Greene
However, the commander noted that the root cause of rape, especially in the “north villages” of his district where it is more prevalent, is culture.
Kingston detailed that in order to change the culture, his unit, along with the relevant agencies is embarking on a plan to educate the villagers.He added that Blossom Inc. has issued an advertisement to recruit persons from these same areas to educate their fellow villagers and to work along with the victims of sexual violence. The commander believes that because the matters are being reported, there is a glimmer of hope that the culture might have started to change.
Meanwhile, the director of CPA, Ann Greene, in an invited comment acknowledged that there are challenges when it comes to dealing with rape in the hinterland regions. Despite this, she said that the Laws of Guyana cater for everyone in Guyana and not just citizens living on the coast.
She added that part of her agency’s plan is to bridge the gap between the culture of the persons living in the hinterland and the laws of Guyana through education.
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