Indigenous Girl, 16, details alleged gruesome rape and sodomy by Govt. Minister

Jun 17, 2023 News

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Kaieteur News – “Dear President Ali, Cabinet Members, private sector, members of the diplomatic community, citizens of Guyana, I would like to let you know what Minister [name provided] has done to me. It’s because I’m scared for my life that I am doing this. I see no other way. [Name provided] has preyed upon me, groomed me and raped me,” a 16-year-old Indigenous girl wrote in a letter and revealed gruesome details about being raped and sodomized by a male government minister.

In a letter to President Irfaan Ali, the teen girl shared details about how she was groomed and later raped by the minister.

She called on the President, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand and the relevant authorities to look into the matter.

According to the letter seen by this publication, the girl first met the minister at an event last year, when she was 15-years-old. She said she was raped three months after meeting the minister and at that time she was 16-years-old.

At that event, the girl said the minister insisted that she collected his number. However, the teen shared that while she did not collect his phone number; the day after the minister reached out to her via Facebook messenger giving her his phone number, and requested that she messaged him there.

After this, the girl said during another event where the minister was in attendance, she was warned to stay away from the minister. She explained that another girl even shared with her that she too was warned to stay away from the minister. She added that girl, “…later told me he use to constantly message her to go by him and always checking to see if she was free…” However, she said that girl never engaged him after she was warned about him.

“Later he kept asking me multiple times via phone calls to have a relationship with him for 3 months straight. I cried about this to my mom because he was pressuring me a lot. I didn’t tell her the details but I said the pressure from him I cannot handle. I was embarrassed and confused. The calls were almost unbearable and most times I just ignored it.”

The girl continued: “I gave in after much pressure and started accepting his phone calls and we would talk. He continued to call me asking to meet him. I made excuses every time he asked me out.”

She explained that the minister kept harassing her to meet up with him.

She noted that the minister was aware of her age and what difficulties she was facing with having her school transfer documents sorted out. She added that he intervened and rectified the situation for which she was grateful.

However, she added that the minister still continued to request that she meet up with him and even promised her anything she wanted.

She explained that one time she visited his office in the company of others, he quickly sent them outside and while they were alone in his office he asked her, “Why you aint come alone?”

“He told me that I could’ve stayed by his place if I was alone. He then slipped $60k in my hand and said use that for y’all travel expenses. He then asked again when would I see you again?”

The girl explained that thereafter, the minister promised her that he would pay for her accommodation at a hotel so that he can see her again.

When she visited Georgetown, the teen said the minister picked her up and took her to his home. She even described his home in her letter along sign the address.

She said despite being taken to his home, she felt safe because she trusted the minister and her younger brother was with her.

“As soon as we reached into the house he put on his tv loud downstairs and told my brother to watch it and then took me upstairs. I went with him.”

She continued: “He led me to a bedroom and closed the door. He kissed me immediately, stopped and started unbuttoning his shirt and I was standing infront of him. Then he came and started kissing me again and try to take my top off but the style was a bit complex because I had to untie it from the back which he told me to do. Then he pulled my pants down because it was a soft pant, he had no difficulty, I was in my bare underwear. My entire body like it froze and I was just following orders. Then he got completely undressed naked and started kissing me again.”

After this, she said the minister told her to perform oral sex on him and after she denied he, “harshly pushed my head downwards and forced his penis in my mouth. I was panicking inside and knew at that moment I was in trouble. I know I didn’t please him because of course I wasn’t comfortable and knew nothing of how this was supposed to be done. He then lifted me and put me on the bed and started fingering me.”

The teen said too in her letter, “He asked me if I like it with protection or not and I was speechless. Then said Don’t worry I won’t get you pregnant… He said from the first time he laid his eyes on me when I was 15 years old he wanted to f$&@ me. He then penetrated me vaginally extremely hard and took my virginity. He then looked at me and said ‘I am your first and from this day on you are mine and I own you.’”

Giving more gruesome details about the ordeal, the girl said, “He never ask me if this is what I wanted. I was in a blur and my mind was blank. I am 5 ft 3 ins weighing less than 100 lbs. This man is about 5 ft 7 ins and over 200 Ibs. he was dominating me.”

She said during the ordeal she was screaming for the minister to stop, but he ignored her and continued to have his way with her.

However, the teen’s torment did not end there.

According to her, “The anal sex was worst than the vaginal one. But he didn’t stop. As he was over me, I couldn’t do anything but pierce my nails into his hands while enduring that pain.”

“After pleasuring himself, he then pulled out of my anus and c@& on my back,” she said adding that the minister then laughed and told her, “it’s like 2 whole pot spoon of sperms. Enjoy sex like that?”

The girl said the minister then went to take a shower leaving her on the bed crying, bleeding and in pain.

Shortly after, she said the minister handed her a sum of money and told her to use some for a hotel room and the rest to buy stuff for herself and her brother.

“What kind of a human is [name provided]? Be a man and explain to me why you violated my body. Why did you prey after me, groomed me and then took advantage of me. Do you have any idea what you have done to my life? You’re a man right? Tell me I want to know since you like to destroy young girls lives. Is this what your job requires of you? You are taking advantage of your office and no one knows this. You go to churches and hold the Bible and pray and take pictures to fool the world and yet is a demon. You visit communities and hold girls and take pictures and then lust after them. You are a scum of the earth. You belong in jail for the rest of your miserable life,” the girl said.

The teen alleged that the minister his using his office as a way to get access to females and sexual abuse them.

“I have blocked him on Facebook and WhatsApp. I never met him after he raped me and never wanted to see him again in my lifetime. Ms. Priya Manichand, you are supposed to protect us school children from sexual predators like this. You have failed me. You keep bringing [minister name] to schools and allowing him access to us school girls,” the teen said.

Moreover, the girl said, “…I would not let a narcissistic crook like him bring me down and honestly, if I’ll have to be known for this for the rest of my life, I would consider it as living up to what I stand for, a voice for the voiceless and a role model to my fellow indigenous girls.”

Meanwhile, in an invited comment, President Ali told the News Room that did had not received a formal or official complaint but noted that he saw social media posts on the allegations.

News Room reported that the President emphasised that once a report is made “it will be thoroughly investigated by the relevant authorities.” Notably, it was highlighted that President Ali also reiterated that he has “no tolerance for such behaviour and anyone found guilty of such allegations will be held accountable.”

“As a government, we are committed to having any facts fully investigated as we hold dearly our girls and women in every community. And we will continue to do everything to ensure their safety and well-being,” President Ali told the News Room.

Similarly, on the sidelines of an event on Friday evening, President Ali told Kaieteur News that his government will not tolerate such acts and that he has already informed the police that any such report must be thoroughly and comprehensively investigated.

Asked whether the matter was discussed with the government minister, President Ali responded, “Of course I reached out to the Minister and he denied any wrongdoing and as I said the allegations are allegations we have to deal with statement of facts and once any facts is being presented the authorities have to do their investigation.”

The head of state assured that “no one will be held unaccountable.” “So as I said one of the greatest priority in this government is our girls and women. We will not tolerate anything that will hinder that. So any fact and report I… have already told the police any report must be thoroughly and comprehensively investigated,” President Ali assured.

Kaieteur News understands that a senior government minister contacted the alleged victim and her family.

Meanwhile, in light of the allegations against the government minister, Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton in a statement Friday evening highlighted the serious nature of the allegations and called on President Irfaan Ali to remove the minister from office, so that an investigation into the allegation can be conducted.

Similarly, Opposition Member of Parliament, Geeta Chandan- Edmond in a statement said, “I am appalled by allegations of sexual exploitation made against the minister…Henceforth, I shall proceed to get further information to complete a thorough  legal assessment of the facts on this odious allegation.”

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• Guyana, Indigenous, Minister of Education, President, Priya Manickchand

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