Govt. to push for gender-based crimes to be non-bailable

Sep 16, 2025 News

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Kaieteur News – Minister of Human Services and Social Security Vindhya Persaud will be advocating for some gender-based crimes to be non-bailable in an effort to curb and fully eradicate the scourge of domestic violence here.

In his inaugural address over a week ago to kickstart his second term President Irfaan Ali had vowed to “kill” the scourge of domestic violence. Ali said his government will be empowering women, youth and the elderly. “And we will intensify our fight against domestic violence – we must kill this now,” President Ali said.

Following up on the president’s promise after her swearing in at state house Saturday night, Minister Persaud disclosed that there will be additional discussions on the issues of bail for these types of offences, as it is something she feels “very strongly about. “…maybe this could be considered eventually as an offence that does not have bail, or the bail is higher because too often people get out,” Persaud said.

The Minister said her Ministry continues to work with law enforcement agencies to fight the problem. She said at least 50 per cent of the members of the Guyana Police Force has been trained to handle these situations. “So it’s not only one or two police officers will have the knowledge at the station to take reports, write case reports, but everybody, because I think the response needs to be sensitive to what is coming. It’s very, very serious,” Minister Persaud stressed.

In terms of additional support for victims, Persaud said the Ministry has been providing rentals for survivors so that they are neither forced to stay or return to the situation. There are also plans to increase this capacity as well as amplify the counseling and therapy sessions.

There will also be the continued provision of free training to assist with employment, as there are several cases where survivors are unemployed. This means that they do not have financial independence. “…a lot more emphasis will be placed on that, because when children are in the equation, that is usually a consideration for persons to stay in these kinds of, you know, violent relationships… in all of the shelter arrangements we have, children are also taken care of,” Persaud added.

In the new Family Act of 2024, provision is made for domestic violence victims to stay in their home while the perpetrator has to leave. Minister Persaud expressed that she is hopeful that this piece of legislation will continue to be utilised to its fullest in the court systems so that there could be expeditious delivery of justice.

She added that work will continue to develop the community network, as it is not a one agency job. “This has been for there for a long time. So, we started the community advocate network in the hinterland and the coastal area, so that we could have people trained to work with us on the ground.”

Deadly year! On Sunday, a Crabwood Creek Corentyne, Berbice man went berserk brutally chopping his common- law wife of 15 years to death before ending his own life by consuming a poisonous substance. Dead are Alisha Narine, 36, and Ram Singh, who according to police reports, ingested a poisonous substance after committing the heinous act. The police confirmed that Singh died while under guard at the Number 75 Village Hospital, Corentyne.

The dead woman’s sister divulged that for all the years the couple was together, Alisha suffered endless physical abuse at the hands of Singh.
“He always ill-treats her, beat her, threaten her. Last couple months (ago) he threatened she in the market and tried to jook she up right in front of everybody and the security guard in the market catch he and he was four months in prison.”

Even though she underwent endless cycles of assault, the deceased Narine, a domestic worker, always warmed up to Singh’s apologies and assurances of changing, her sister told this newspaper. Multiple pleas for her to end the relationship with the abusive man were dismissed, the sister shared in grief.
From January to late August, 13 women lost their lives in domestic violent encounters. In January, 16-year-old Janelly David was beaten to death and left in a hammock in Region One by her partner Eon Moore. Also in the same month, 34-year-old Bibi Fazila Ally (34) was killed by her ex-partner Bidraj Ganesh. Her body was left in a pool of blood and was discovered by her eight-year-old son.

In February, 27-year-old, Kenesha Vaughn was shot 12 times by her husband Marlan Da Silva during an argument, while he was allegedly intoxicated at their Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara. Also, in the same month Shameeza Mohamed was brutally beaten by her son-in-law Parsuram Arjune subsequently succumbing to her injuries.

The month of April saw five women losing their lives: Mezona Ronaldo was set on fire by her partner Kevin Cadogan and subsequently succumbed to her injuries. Reports from family members revealed that he had cut her hair off a few weeks before.

Also, in April Maline La Cruz, her sister Sueann La Cruz and her mother, Waveney La Cruz lost their lives at the hands of her ex-partner Parmanand Ramdehol, when he shot them at their Waiakabra Village, Soesdyke – Linden Highway.

In the same month, 30- year-old Marissa Beete was shot by her ex-boyfriend Ghalee Khan who was a convicted drug trafficker. In July, Jenel Pollydore (26) was shot dead at a wedding by the father of her child. In August, Teekadai Solomon was shot at least 10 times by her husband Alroy Solomon who then turned the weapon on himself ending his life. He also shot their son during the ordeal. In the same month, 45-year-old Bibi Shazida Hanif was stabbed to death by her ex-husband Martin True.

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• Domestic violence, gender-based crimes, non bailable, Vindya Persaud

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