Over 1,200 rape cases reported in Guyana since 2021

May 12, 2026 News

…children, young women still main victims of sexual violence

(Kaieteur News) – Children and young women continue to be the primary targets of sexual violence in Guyana, with an average of 200 rape cases being reported annually to the Guyana Police Force (GPF), according to the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit (SODVPU).

Presenting the agency’s five-year Statistical Sexual Violence Report (2021-2025), SODVPU Manager Dr. Cona Husbands revealed that more than 1,200 rape cases were recorded nationwide during the period under review – 2021 to present – with Regions Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara) and Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) accounting for more than half of the reports.

“The highest number of reported cases was recorded in Region Three with 253, closely followed by Region Six with 243,” Husbands shared yesterday at a Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) Symposium hosted by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security under the theme, “Looking Back, Moving Forward – Roadmap to Prevention of Sexual Abuse & Harassment.” She described these figures as alarming.

Over 1,200 rape cases reported in Guyana since 2021

A section of the gathering at the SAAM symposium yesterday.

In 2021, she noted that reports climbed to 262 cases, the highest figure recorded during the five-year period, though annual reports generally remained around the 200 mark. The year 2025, though, showed a slight reduction in reported cases, and the data also revealed seasonal trends, with reports peaking in January and October before declining sharply in December.

According to Husbands, females accounted for 94 per cent of all reported victims of sexual violence, while males represented approximately 5.5 per cent. Male victims remain consistently low in the data, she noted, as there are several factors contributing to underreporting among boys and men.

For 2025 alone, Husbands said 24 cases of sexual violence were reported to the GPF, with 96 per cent of the victims being under the age of 18. The perpetrators were primarily male, and nearly half were identified as family members. Husbands also outlined the support and prevention initiatives implemented by the SODVPU and its partners over the years.

She disclosed that more than 4,000 police officers and 1,200 health workers have been trained to respond to cases of sexual violence. The agency has also collaborated with the Ministry of Education to train teachers and guidance counsellors, while outreach programmes have extended to Indigenous communities through the training of Toshaos, village councillors and more than 4,000 Indigenous persons. In addition, staff members conducted awareness sessions in over 200 schools across Guyana, reaching more than 20,000 students.

Husbands said the ministry’s 914 hotline continues to provide support services to survivors of sexual violence and remains an important reporting and assistance mechanism for vulnerable persons.

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Domestic violence, rape, rape cases, sexual violence

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