Guyanese be vigilant for abuse of stepchildren by stepparents

Oct 21, 2023 Letters

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Dear Editor,

As one who grew up with a most horrific and brutal stepfather, when I read, see or hear of the brutalities on stepchildren by stepfather/stepmothers, my heart gets ripped apart and my soul gets tormented for days and days to points where I go into depression. The only thing that I can do so far is to constantly highlight in the print and electronic media, as well as Facebook on my program “In the Raw!” The most brutal case of this most precious child “Travis Morrison” who was most horrifically brutalized with his head fractured, and obviously with his mind damaged for life. Then after the long weekend of sadness and pain, the morning of the 16th of October 2023 in a National newspaper I saw the headline: “Man arrested for allegedly raping 10-year-old stepdaughter.”

It would appear that in Guyana and many countries, brutalities and sexual abuses on stepchildren are a way of life. This is a sad reality in our country. We see the police taking action and the system of law-and-order working. But it is my view that we need more than this! We need to galvanize our peoples in the country to always be on the lookout for all kinds of child abuse. But more so for the stepchildren as the brutalities on these kinds of children are always most traumatic, psychologically and physically; mentally and realistically.

It is my opinion that the Ministry of Human Services working in cahoots with community organizations, the police and policing groups should constantly be on the lookout for those homes with stepchildren. Neighbours need to assist by reporting incidents to the police even if they do not identify themselves. Try to video record and expose them in the media and maybe a record should be kept for monitoring.

I recall a stepchild in the East Bank Demerara area, knowing the brutality that he would face, asked his mother to take him with her to her work but his mother said that her employers would not allow it. And so, the boy was left alone with his stepfather. The next thing we knew was that the child was hanging by his neck, dead. This was discovered by his mother on returning home. Some postulated that the boy might have committed suicide out of terror but some of us know better. It is unfortunate that we do not usually hear anything after the arrest and the charges laid against the molesters and abusers. The people of this country need to know the outcome of these cases. The newsprint and electronic media need to follow up vigorously on these kinds of trials so that the people of the country are aware of what is taking place.

It would appear that the abuse of stepchildren by stepparents and guardians is an epidemic in Guyana and even by Guyanese who move overseas. I recall a case in Queens New York City where a Guyanese woman living with a man from India was constantly brutalizing her stepdaughter, who had just come from India. She used the excuse of having to bathe the child and beat her constantly, then to death in the bathtub. That child came recently from India, and I can imagine the pain of the mother who sent the child to stay with the father in the US. I recall another case in New York City where a big woman not only by age but physical size it was reported in the media, raped a little child. I think the male child was about four years old. Both these cases in the USA receive maximum imprisonment.

We need to know as Guyanese that imprisonment and penalties of stepparents and guardians are publicly advertised to create fear and terror in the hearts of those other cruel stepparents. Stepfathers must know that they cannot take the woman with children and not accept the children. And the woman must know that she cannot take the man and not respect and appreciate the man’s children. People cannot become guardians without trying to protect and develop the child; without trying to protect and develop the child to whom they promised to guard and protect. Here under I will give some synopsis of cases of abuse of stepchildren in Guyana and also some facts on overseas based information that I have collected on this issue:

“A mother and her two daughters—aged eight and 13—were seeking lodging and protection in the West Berbice area on Friday after her reputed husband raped the two girls, impregnating the older one. The man has been taken into custody as police and officers from the Childcare & Protection Agency (CCPA) conducted investigations, but the women and girls were still afraid because he had threatened them.” (Stabroek News June 17, 2012)

“A man was charged, in court yesterday, with unlawful assault of his stepdaughter. Kevin De Souza pleaded not guilty to the November 13 offence when he appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, accused of assaulting Penny Reaz. Police Sergeant Lionel Harvey, prosecuting, said the virtual complainant saw the defendant abusing her mother, became upset and intervened. The prosecutor said a scuffle ensued between the victim and her stepfather.” (The Chronicle 16th November, 2011).

“A nine-year-old boy of Enmore on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD), is currently hospitalized in critical condition after he was allegedly doused with gasoline and set on fire by his mother and stepfather.” (I-News Guyana September 16, 2023).

Dr. Lisa Fontes in her published report for the European Union entitled, “Cries in the Dark – Child Sexual Abuse in Guyana Today” with a forward by Dr. Barbara Reynolds, Former Deputy Vice-Chancellor University of Guyana, (September, 2018) stated that the: ‘Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) situation in Guyana right now is so dire, as children from infancy through their teen years are being preyed upon and permanently scarred by those who should be providing their care. Pessimism also because our nation is still in the beginning stages of mounting an effective response to the problem of CSA, and in the meantime, children are experiencing harm, and many perpetrators are yet to be brought to justice. And more needs to be done to bring the situation under control.”

“In the USA in criminal child sexual abuse cases, the police generally investigate and decide whether to ask the court to charge someone. However, citizens can also ask the court to charge someone by filing an “application for statement of charges” with a court commissioner. Commissioners issue charges if there is “probable cause” to believe a crime occurred. In sex crimes cases, charges also may be presented to a grand jury. If the grand jury believes that a crime occurred, they will issue an indictment. In some cases, charges first come from the commissioner and then the prosecutor presents the case to a grand jury.” (Understanding the Legal System When Your Child Has Been Sexually Abused by the Sexual Assault Legal institute 2018).

I, Hajji Dr. Roshan Khan as a child was hanged by my stepfather, where my hands were tied like that of a goat just slaughtered as if to be skinned under a shed. I was hung under a shed! If the rope was on my neck, I would have been dead. My stepfather was a most cruel man. Cruel to me! One day I recall as a little boy playing with Awara seeds that we called ‘Banga’ in a game called ‘enter hole’ with my little friends. I was about eight or nine years old; I was on my knee bent over to collect my banga when a penetrated lash on my back caused me to collapse. I was in a state of shock, like being stabbed into the back with a sharp instrument like a knife. It was a black sage whip. My stepfather wanted me to sit on the bicycle and hold an engine while he rode to the mechanic shop for some repairs, and I had not heard him calling. He also had a big son just after me but would always pamper his son as well as his other children and would never pressure or beat them.

I must state, that as I still am today, I was always a humble, good, decent and elegant child. I was always loved by neighbours and teachers, preachers and especially Afro Guyanese neighbours and Pastors, who would always counsel, guide and teach me. I was always attending the Islamic schools, Christian Sunday schools, Hindu schools and even studying the bible with Jehovah Witnesses. I was always told that I was a good-looking child and many believe that it was because of this that my stepfather always got irritated by me. On another occasion, my stepfather would look at me in my face and come to punch it and tell me that he feels to smash my face. On other occasions he would just come to me and slap me with all his might, he was the strongest man in the world, in my opinion. On one occasion, when I was about 12 years old, I was mauled for nothing but mere cruelty or desire to satisfy the cruel nature of my stepfather’s brutal lust with a belt. The belt head was the part hitting my body. Ladies and gentlemen, readers, friends and families, to date I have marks on my left leg of the damage to my skin from since then.

On another occasion my stepfather asked early in the morning ‘why I did not go to school yesterday,’ and I said I told mom that I did not feel well, and she had agreed to me staying home. However, he used that as an excuse to unleash lashes on my back with the belt head and busted my left shoulder and my back. On numerous occasions my stepfather at about the age of four to nine, would lift me up bodily and throw me violently to the ground.

Ladies and gentlemen as I write I am in tears. I am in tears for me, but I am in tears also for Travis Morrison, and the rape of that little girl child whose story was recently carried in the media. I tear for the mothers, at times whose heart will suffer, but will take the blows for her child/children and on herself. In silence, because she knows that she cannot take care of herself or her children economically. She depends on the cruel husband or stepfather due to lack of education, usually.

I believe that all children who go through these kinds of brutal traumas should receive serious psychological counsel and guidance as well as the mothers. I believe that cruel stepparents should receive maximum penalties at all times.

As I close this letter, I shed tears and I pray for all of these children. I myself was at times compelled by my stepfather to spit on the floor and “chaatay” (lick it). At times I had to spit in my hand and lick it. Yet I thank God for my mother, Hajin Latifan Khan, my teachers, my Pastors, my Imams and my African neighbours and friends. They helped me to be loving, gracious, kind, discipline, thus causing me to only have forgiveness in my heart for that man, who I always ask God to forgive.

Yours Sincerely,

Hajji Dr. Roshan Khan

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• brutalities, Hajin Latifan Khan, Hajji Dr. Roshan Khan, In the Raw!, stepchildren

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