LAST week Wednesday, a thirteen-year-old girl alleged through a video recording and a sworn affidavit that Chandra Narine Sharma had been having sex with her since she was seven-years-old. On Thursday she reported same to the Police to who she gave a statement about this sex abuse. In her statement the girl further alleged that CN Sharma had engaged in sex with her three older sisters when they were all children. The thirteen year old also said that her little eight-year-old sister is another victim of Sharma.
On Sunday the newspapers reported that four of the sisters had all given statements to the police alleging that CN Sharma had raped them all as children over and over again for a number of years. One of them claimed that she bore his child when she was only fourteen-years-old. Additionally, a twelve-year-old cousin of the girls has said that Sharma has sexually assaulted her.
CN Sharma has since been in the Georgetown Public Hospital claiming to be sick, thus preventing the allegations to be put to him or the charges laid against him.
Despite this claim, on Monday the newspaper (Kaieteur News) carried a long report where they quoted Sharma as saying words to the effect that these girls have many relationships and painting them in a terrible light and in effect putting the girls on trial.
I find it most reprehensible that the press would allow Sharma to further victimise these young, and by his own admission, poverty stricken girls.
I am also stunned by the silence of those people who are usually very vocal on these issues. There has been enough time, as outlined above for them to comment. Is their silence as a result of the poverty of these girls or the prominence of Sharma? Or are they afraid of what nasty things he will say of them on his program if ever he resumes same.
Where are Red Thread and Help and Shelter? Where are the GHRA and the political parties, especially the women’s arms? Are we going to hear them using this opportunity to denounce child sex abuse?
And could Minister Manickchand tell us where the long awaited new sex offence law is? I remember her saying during the consultation period that examining a victim’s character and past would not be allowed. Are we going to get that law soon?