Latest update September 13th, 2024 12:59 AM
Feb 16, 2024 News
Kaieteur News – Police are looking to re-arrest a man accused of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman on a speedboat en-route to the Stabroek Market Stelling, Georgetown from the Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling in the West Coast of Demerara (WCD).
The woman was assaulted on Friday last and police had arrested the man the same day but ranks at the Stabroek Market Outpost reportedly let him go reportedly on $40,000 station bail after keeping him in custody for only a couple of hours. Now police are looking to re-arrest the suspect but cannot find him even after the victim and her relatives have reportedly seen him walking the streets of Georgetown and frequenting the water taxis to cross over from Vreed-en-Hoop to Georgetown.
The young lady recalled that she was sexually assaulted around 16:10hrs while sitting beside a passenger in the boat. “He had on white shirt, black sunglasses and carried a green backpack on his lap,” she said while adding that she felt something rubbing against her thighs and vagina. At first she reportedly thought that it might be an object inside his green pack up because waves had the boat rocking. She claimed that she then adjusted her own bag to prevent his from rubbing against her only to discover that it was the man’s hand rubbing against her thighs and vagina. “I reacted promptly and pushed him away”, she said as she recalled raising her voice to alert the other passengers of his actions.
After confronting the suspect, she reportedly asked the boat captain to summon the police to arrest him a soon as they arrived at Stabroek Market Stelling. Police showed up in time and the suspect attempted to escape from the boat. The woman said that she was barring him from leaving the boat and he pushed her to the ground but did not get far because another female rushed over and restrained with a vice grip. She recounted that amidst the chaos to prevent the suspect from getting away an off-duty officer who was close by intervened and apprehended him. The man was taken to the Stabroek Police outpost where he was held. The woman alleged that she went along to make an official report to police ranks about sexual assault. He was searched and interrogated. Sex toys were reportedly found in his bag and when questioned, he reportedly told officers that he is a 52-year-old vendor from Anna Regina on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two. Police allegedly found a significant amount of cash on him too.
The victim alleged that after finding the cash she was taken aback when the officers on duty at the outpost asked her before taking a statement if she would really like to proceed with the matter against suspect or let him pay her off. “That is when the officer (name mentioned) told me that this man has money and, if I wanted to take the money and let him go”, alleged the victim while claiming that she refused the offer and told the officers that she wanted him charged and placed before the courts because he can do it again. The ranks then reportedly took a statement from the woman and assured her that the suspect will be kept in custody for 72 hours under investigation. She left but later learnt that the man was released hours later. Curious as to why he was let go the woman said that she called the officers to find out why and when the suspect will be charged.
Kaieteur News was preview to a conversation between the victim and the officers and one of them could be heard telling her that they were ordered by superiors to release him on $40,000 station bail.
She was reportedly not satisfied with the response and decided to take her case to higher authorities within the Guyana Police Force (GPF). The woman continued her claims that she was left even more surprised after learning that no one was made aware of her case including the female rank in charge of the Sexual Crimes Unit at the Brickdam Police Station. She was summoned by police days later for the detectives at the Brickdam Police Station to retake her statement. The woman said that the detectives told her that none of the ranks at Stabroek Outpost informed them of the sexual assault or forwarded any statement/report to sexual crimes as is required. It is unclear if police will investigate the ranks at the Stabroek Outpost. Investigations are ongoing.
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