The Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) in a release to the media on Saturday stated that it is deeply concerned about the recent development in the investigation into the allegation of rape levelled against Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Nigel Dharamlall, by an Indigenous child.
The APA believes that the alleged instruction of “no further action” to the Police, by the child is a culmination of improper investigation and systemic emotional abuse by the authorities.
The child’s treatment raises serious questions about the authorities’ interest in delivering justice, the APA stated in the release.
“Over the course of the investigation, we have noted reports of the denial of counsel to the child and the Police treating her more like a suspect rather than a victim of a serious crime. The APA is also concerned about the role played by the Welfare Officers of the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) in this whole investigation. It is clear, from the press reports, that the child’s interests were not adequately represented by those entrusted to protect her,” the Association noted.
As such, the APA is demanding an investigation into the conditions under which this child was being kept and the Police’s conduct of the investigation. The association stated that it is dismayed at this conclusion and awaits the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
In the interim, the APA is calling on the Child Care and Protection Agency to provide answers to several questions including whether Standard Operating Procedures were employed in addressing the allegations; the amount of Welfare Officers who were assigned to take care of the child; was the child denied legal representation by independent attorneys; was any lawyer contacted by the Child Care and Protection Agency to provide legal assistance to the child and her family.
In addition, the APA wants to know if the Guyana Police Force would have followed SOPs in dealing with allegations against the Minister and whether or not there were any confrontations between the child and the accused.
Further, the APA wants to know how often were the victim and her younger sibling interrogated by the Police.
The APA remains concerned for the child’s well-being and that of her family. “Allegations of this nature require an enormous amount of strength to be made and we are hopeful that the child is receiving the right mental health and trauma care. This will inevitably shape her future and we view the “instruction” as alleged by the Guyana Police Force to be nothing but a culmination of the enormous pressures placed on this child and her family,” the release stated.
Meanwhile, the APA joins the calls for the matter to be independently investigated while noting that the protection of our children should be of paramount importance and value to all.
The APA has vowed to continue to fight for the protection of basic human and other Indigenous peoples’ rights and will engage with the United Nations and other regional mechanisms to ensure that justice is served.
