Commander of ‘C’ Division, Assistant Commissioner Balram Persaud, yesterday told the Guyana Chronicle that the mentally challenged man who reportedly tried to sexually assault a schoolgirl has been released.

He explained that 72 hours had expired and the man had to be released. The man had received a sound thrashing from residents of Enmore/Foulis, East Coast Demerara, when he reportedly tried to sexually assault a schoolgirl from the village last week.

The man, who occupies an abandoned house at Old Road, Enmore, was beaten by a group of residents when they saw him snatch a girl who was on her way home.

The residents claimed that the man was naked and grabbed the child as she passed the bushy area where he lives.

She was rescued and the angry group of villagers handed the man over to ranks at the Enmore Police Outpost.

After an appeal by Persaud last week for the residents to produce the girl failed, the man was subsequently released from police custody.

Following investigations, the police even visited the Enmore Primary School in search of the schoolgirl but came up empty handed.

Mr. Persaud added that without the girl’s statement, it is not possible to charge the man.