By Shauna Jemmott

IN light of the arrest and charging of a farmer for killing a policeman, the Guyana Women Miners Organisation (GWMO) is appealing for Trafficking in Persons (TIPS) and rape allegations against him to be investigated.

The man in question was arrested and charged for stabbing to death a policeman and wounding two others during a police operation. He was remanded to prison last week.

GWMO President Urica Primus told the Guyana Chronicle that investigations into the TIPS allegations and rape against the same man continue to be delayed.

The organisation is calling it “slackness” that the department within the Ministry of Social Protection with responsibility for TIPS continues to ignore a plea for action.

The GWMO has been calling since January for the farmer to be investigated after it had rescued two young girls in a TIPS operation.

The pregnant girl who made the allegations was rescued, along with a 13-year-old and her nine-day-old baby on January 12 and on March 10.

The GWMO wrote Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan after the man was captured, informing the minister that the same man was wanted in connection with the death of his wife in 2015.

The woman, who had delivered a baby by Caesarean section, was allegedly raped by her husband and dragged in the yard and left to die, while the children watched.

Public-spirited citizens attempted to take her to the Port Kaituma Hospital, but she died on the way.

The man also reportedly raped a teenager.

“These critical details were provided to the Child Protection Agency, the Counter Trafficking Unit, the Guyana Police Force and the Minister of Public Security, since it was not included in the girl’s statement. In every communication, we requested that a further statement be taken from the victim in the presence of one member of the GWMO’s Trafficking in Persons Unit,” the GWMO had said in a statement.

DENIED

“Three times this request was denied by the Counter Trafficking Unit, and to date, the organisation is unaware of any additional statement being taken,” Primus said.

Primus had also complained several times to the Guyana Chronicle that the organisation had requested formally and informally that the Counter Trafficking Unit (CTU) within the Ministry of Social Protection take a statement from a child.

According to the GWMO, the 12-year-old had given a statement to the organisation that the man had raped her on several occasions, and had also taken her, along with her 10-year-old sister, to various mining areas and logging sites as sex workers for small amounts of cash and groceries.

The young girl had complained that the illegality happened several times.

CONCERN

The organisation had also expressed concern about the girl’s younger sister. The Guyana Chronicle understands that the child is in the care of an aunt who resides in Wauna Backdam.

When asked if the GWMO will rescue the 10-year-old, Primus said though it is in their best interest, “we do not have the resources.”

She added, though, that the organisation was made aware that the Child Care and Protection Agency within the Ministry of Social Protection has a representative within the district, and hopes that the agency will investigate the matter.

The GWMO expressed distress over the matter, but expressed gratitude to Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan for taking steps in prosecuting the same man for allegedly stabbing to death a policeman who was executing his duties, more than a month ago.

The man in question is also alleged to have wounded two other policemen, and reportedly sustained gunshot wounds to his leg while resisting arrest.

While the police were responding at the time to a cry of rape levelled against the man, the 12-year-old alleged victim had indicated her willingness to give a statement to the police and the CTU in the presence of GWMO representatives.

“Three times this request was denied by the Counter Trafficking Unit; to date, we are unaware of any additional statement being taken. She was brought out since January! This is April!” Primus stated, as she bemoaned the time taken by police and the CTU to take a statement from the complainant.

When asked if the 10-year-old girl had given a statement to the Port Kaituma Police, Primus responded: “To our best knowledge, she was never even brought out for questioning… not even [by] the police at Port Kaituma.”

Meanwhile, another representative of the organisation told the Guyana Chronicle that there are concerns about the presence of other criminals in the area.

Those concerns were highlighted to the relevant authorities.

“We have to get the [Police] Force in there… they have some wanted people in there,” the woman stated.