I’m speaking out for my daughter

THE Protection of Children’s Act 2009 (Guyana) applies to the whole of Guyana — even to people living in remote riverine districts and those in the most isolated areas of the 10 administrative regions. Children need to be protected by adults: this should be the mindset of every adult in Guyana, regardless of which part of this 83,000 sq. miles of beautiful land they reside.

Unfortunately, some adults are sexually exploiting their children on a regular basis. This is against the laws of Guyana and obviously — as perpetrators are well aware — not in the best interest of the child. The legal age for sexual consent is 16. Anyone engaging in sexual activity with a child below this age, even with the child’s consent, is breaking the law. Parents, caregivers or anyone who is –even partially — complicit in the deviant sexual exploitation of children in their care, face imprisonment.

Miriam’s story
I didn’t consider it wrong or right when I was a child, it was simply something that happened to me and as far as I imagined, all girlchildren. I didn’t look at it in the context of the wider world, because at that time I didn’t realise what constituted a violation of trust and I was unaware of my right to grow up without being abused. I had no indication beforehand about what was going to take place. I was just a small girl in the prime of my childhood. My days were spent playing in the yard, going to the shop for mummy and climbing the mango tree by the front step.

Our relationship as a family was not particularly warm or loving, because I can’t remember many hugs or kisses, but I think I loved and respected my parents: well at least until I realised that what had happened to me during my childhood was rape and sexual abuse. The first time my father got into bed with me was when he came home drunk. I truly believed it was a mistake at the time, because he didn’t stay there all night and it didn’t happen again… until just after my 10th birthday. He climbed into my bed while I was half asleep and this time stayed the whole night. Nothing was said about it in the morning and we carried on with our family life as usual.

It wasn’t long after this that his ‘sleeping with me’ was accompanied by sexual activity — an activity in which I was neither a willing nor unwilling participant. This was just part of my everyday life as a child. That is how I was thinking at the time. I had no opinion about what he did to me at all. Looking back, I realise that, that is exactly how my parents wanted it to be.

Just before my 12th birthday, I began to feel sick every morning and could not attend school. My father was working on a dredge somewhere far away, so it was just me and mummy. The health worker confirmed I was pregnant a few months later and my mother told me not to say anything if asked about the father of my child. After delivering my daughter, Emily Rose, there were complications. My body was not fully developed for pregnancy or childbirth and I was haemorrhaging badly. The doctors had to remove my womb in order to save my life.

Today, six years on, I feel like a child who never had a childhood. Aged 18, I am a single parent with strong views on childcare and child rights. This is the first time I am speaking publicly about my ordeal and I’m doing so because I want others to know that it is not right to sexually abuse children and mothers must not encourage it. Shame on you! I swear as long as I have breath in my body my daughter will never go through the kind of things that happened to me. (Names have been changed to protect identities)

If you are concerned about the welfare of a child ring the CPA hotline on 227 0979 or write to us at childcaregy@gmail.com
A MESSAGE FROM THE CHILDCARE AND PROTECTION AGENCY, MINISTRY OF SOCIAL PROTECTION

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