Woman claims Govt. Official raped her over promised REO job 

Jun 28, 2023 News

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…cancels contract after being rebuffed continuously

Kaieteur News – Amid growing concerns about sexual abuse by teenage girls at the hands of public officials, another young woman has come forward to share harrowing details about how she was allegedly raped, and sexually exploited by a government official who had promised her the position of Regional Executive Office (REO) of the Region Two Administration.

The woman has since contacted law firm-Dexter Todd and Associates and would be filing an official report to the Guyana Police Force. The young woman in a statement said she met the alleged perpetrator in 2020, when he was a member of the People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP) youth group. She explained that she was interested in joining the party’s group. She shared that during her first time meeting the accused, it was over dinner where they had a professional interaction, but added that some of his actions that evening “was just strange.”

A few months later, she shared that the official called her about a job offer. “I reply with much vigour that I will be at his disposal for the position he mentioned,” the young woman detailed in her statement. A date and time was later set for them to meet. The woman shared that she was happy to have, “some sort of real professional conversation with the (official) who said he found me qualified for an REO position. I wasn’t comfortable with the post, frankly, so my intention was to discuss this matter with him and his team. He led me to believe he was travelling with a team which made sense.” On the day of the supposed meeting with the official and his team, the woman shared that she drove to State House, Anna Regina, Region Two where the official said a meeting will be held.

However, when she arrived, she realised: “The vibe is strange. It was completely empty except for one gentleman eating at a table. I did not know what to expect but the whole set up and energy was not what I expected from a (name provided) travelling on official government business. I did not have any indication that (name provided) was interested in having sexual relations with me, he never indicated any interest and I obviously never picked up anything of that sort on my radar. I was never attracted to him or interested in him sexually! This man is almost 50 years and I’m in my 20’s so I saw him as an elder not as someone who was having a sexual interest in me.”

According to the woman, she was taken to a different part of the building “resembling a living room.” “After (name provided) finishes his food, we walked to a different section of the building, resembling a living room. As we were out of earshot and sight of the man eating at the table, (name provided) suddenly looks back to make sure we are not being watched. He grabs my hand in a tight grip and just casually walks up the stairs to an upper floor with rooms opposite each other across a hallway…It was very strange and I felt pity for him because I assumed he thought I was interested. It was embarrassing to have to reject him so blatantly and I was wondering what made him think I was interested in him, since I am a lesbian and never made any sort of indication, I was interested in getting physical. This was all happening so quickly, my mind racing as to what’s happening and I was perplexed.”

The young woman recounted that from the living room area, the official headed into a self-contained room. “I scan the room, stay at the door, and I’m unsure how to get myself out of this misunderstanding. However, (official) shove pass me and closes the door and immediately tries to kiss me and he forces himself on to me against the wall. I immediately rejected his advances and made it clear I was not into having sex with him and that nothing was going to happen. I told him in no uncertain terms that I am not sexually attracted to him and I start to feel guilty as though something was expected of me that I did not know…this was my first stint in politics and so far, I did not know if this was some sort of sick initiation process that in order to join the PPP Youth Arm, you have to sleep with its members or in order for me to get a job with the government, I had to sleep with (the official).”

She explained that once the doors closed, it was like a “flipped switch” with the official. She added that she was surprised by his actions given that she had never had any sexual or romantic conversation with him. In that moment, she said she excused herself to go to the washroom. However, by the time she exited, the official was completely naked laying across the bed and licking his lips. “He jumped up and pulled me onto the bed and tried to coax me into penetration and anal sex, which I refused. He kept asking me to unclothe which I refused and I kept my composure and showed no fear. I could not leave the room because he blocked the door. I kept saying no and it got to a point where the only thing I can do is nothing. I realized (official) had no social cues. Maybe within half hour, (the official) and I went back and forth about having intercourse. He wanted me to cuddle with him naked which I refused to do, and I kept putting my layers on to leave. He kept insisting that I stay and had a habit of rambling…as though he was on some sort of high. He forcefully took my clothes off and he attempted to penetrate me… I tried my hardest to fight him off. He got worked up and sort of angry when I refused and he forcefully performed oral sex on me. At this point, I disassociated and cried, but he doesn’t know this as he busy raping me. He is physically stronger than me and I could not fight him off. His goal was anal penetration which I fight off. The guilt and shame made me numb, I got dressed and left.”

Notably, the woman shared that the official went under the pillow and pulled out a Glock and bolstered it, which she explained, “was like a symbol of threat.”

Explaining that she was in a flabbergasted state, the woman said she got into her vehicle and drove home during which she tried to process what had just happened to her. She said it felt like a “sick nightmare.” According to her, as soon as she got home, she showered, after which she received a text message from the official who asked whether or not she had a shower to which she responded “yes”. She added that the official responded to her text message by saying he did not shower because he wanted to keep the smell of her on him. The woman shared that night was just the beginning of her nightmare as it got worse from there.

She explained that she later got signed with one of the government ministries and named several officials in that ministry who she told that she was sexually abused by the other government official. “My contract started in early November (2021) and would end at the very end of December (2021). (The official) nor I had any particular meet-ups besides two or three verbal exchanges, all professional pretexts…He kept trying to get me alone with him and I simply refused. After December 2021 had passed, my contract was up in the air due to budget constraints and casualties as (the official) worded it…I was never reimbursed for the two months I signed on as a consultant.”

The woman explained that a few months after she was terminated, she got an opportunity to talk to the official about the lack of consideration and breach of government contract. As such, she agreed to meet the official in a public place. However, the official managed to lure the woman to his home, under the pretense of needing to pick up something. The woman shared that while the official managed to coax her upstairs, she kept her distance. She explained that he tried to remove her clothes while making sexual advances.

“I refused to partake in any of his stupid advances and used the word rape multiple times. I asked him if he intended on raping me again because he was not respecting any boundaries and seemed to go all black in his spirit. He kept his head down muttering under his breath, almost like he would explode if he doesn’t get his way. It’s like he has to force sex to get high. He gets very quiet and mad and forcefully tries to put his penis in my underwear while I was standing by the door, he was unsuccessful mainly because I fought him off and also because his penis is small so he couldn’t get what he wanted standing I stood my ground being taller and not intimidated made him back down and realized he screwed up.”

Shortly after he bolstered his Glock, the woman said. However, she added that she scolded him about being unable to take no for an answer and after that, she was able to leave his home. “I don’t believe he listened to a word because he could not rape me again.” After the incident with the official, the woman said she related her harrowing escape to a prominent friend. She added that she has related her story to many others who empathized with her but are scared of losing their job or get their businesses targeted.

“Many have came to me and empathized but scared to be vocal about this because he is a big government man. He simply needs to be stopped,” she said. Moreover, the woman shared that while the physical evidence of the crime has already been washed away, she believes that someone of such character should not be allowed to be a representative of government, using it as a means to take advantage of women.

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• administration, Government, official, public, raped

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