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DPP accepts withdrawal of complaint from schoolgirl who accused Minister Dharamlall of raping and sodomising her
…advises Police to discontinue matter
Kaieteur News – The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC, on Tuesday informed the police that as a result of the 16-year-old girl withdrawing her rape complaint against Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall, there is no “legal provision” for the matter to proceed.
Last Thursday, the DPP returned the police file on the rape allegations against the minister instructing that ranks do further investigations into the matter. However, the following day, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in a statement announced that the teen informed police investigators that she no longer wished to continue with the matter.
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC
The police disclosed that it was on Thursday that the girl informed her parents and an officer of the Child Care and Protection Agency (CPA), that she did not want to proceed with the matter. Thereafter, it was stated that the teen girl and her parents then prepared a statement to reflect that she is withdrawing her complaint. Notably, the Police said that no investigator was a part of this process. The statement was then delivered to the DPP’s Chambers by a parent of the teen; another copy was then delivered to the Police.
It was explained that only after receipt of that statement, did investigators meet with the teen, her parents and an officer from CPA.
“At that time, the Virtual Complainant (alleged victim), in the presence of her parent and the Childcare official, informed the investigators that she was withdrawing her complaint against Minister Nigel Dharamlall and that she was doing so without anyone forcing her to do so and of her own free will,” the Police disclosed.
It was stated too that a video recording was made of the teen expressing her wishes. Notably, the Police underscored that every process of the child withdrawing her allegation was done in the presence of her parents and the CPA officer.
In a press release last evening, the police disclosed that the file was sent back to the office of the DPP for legal advice on Tuesday morning.
“Consequently, the DPP returned the file this afternoon containing her legal opinion. In her advice, the DPP disclosed that consideration was given to the fact that the complainant gave a further statement to investigators that she wishes to withdraw her complaint against Minister Dharamlall and that her decision was not influenced by anyone and that same was in her best interest. The DPP also proferred her advice based on the fact that the virtual complainant’s statement was taken by a forensic interviewer in the presence of a parent, a Child Care officer and a Police officer and that such statement was free and voluntary,” the police statement said.
Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall
The statement continued: “In light of the above, the Director of Public Prosecution concluded that in the absence of the victim’s complaint, there is no legal provision for the Police to proceed with the matter.”
Kaieteur News had reported that in a letter to President Irfaan Ali, the teen girl shared gruesome details about how she was allegedly groomed and later raped by the minister. In her letter, she pleaded with President Ali, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand and 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. She disclosed in the letter that after continuously harassing her to meet up with him, she eventually agreed to meet the minister. The teen said this is when the minister allegedly raped and sodomised her before handing her a sum of money.
Following the official report made to the police by the teen girl in the company of an officer from the CPA, Minister Dharamlall was arrested and subsequently released on $1M bail.
Amid calls and protest by civil society for Dharamlall to be sacked, President Ali announced that the rape accused proceeded on administrative leave.
- Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall, SC, Shalimar Ali-Hack
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