…Police to report matters of domestic violence, child abuse daily to the Ministry
The horrific tales of the gruesome and barbaric death meted out to 16-year-old Neesa Lalita Gopaul, a former promising Queen’s College scholar and resident of  Leonora Village on the West Coast of Demerara, and whether all avenues that could have averted her demise were explored, continues to hold the attention of every civil-minded Guyanese. And, yesterday, the Ministry of Home Affairs, in a statement  on the issue, said it is “shocked and dismayed” over Neesa’s death, particularly in view of the degree of brutality that accompanied her demise.

“We at the Ministry join all Guyanese in condemning those who were the architects and perpetrators of the demise of the young woman, who, obviously, had promise considering the educational institution she was awarded having written the Secondary Schools Entrance Examination .

“The Ministry of Home Affairs understands that constant reports were made to the Leonora Police Station about acts being committed against the deceased, but a pattern developed where the complainants, including the victim, would attempt to, or withdraw the allegations/statements.
“It therefore means that the police, the relatives, and other members of the community where the young woman lived, were aware that something was amiss, but failed to do enough, to assist her.

“While police ranks are not all specially trained welfare and probation officers, the training which they undergo and the experience they gain in dealing with the public was enough to alert them that the issues surrounding the deceased needed special attention by them. In fact, Police Standing Order No. 63 mandates that all allegations of crime, whether indictable or summary, must be entered in the crime book. Therefore, even if the complainant withdrew the allegations, the records at the station would remain.  This should alert the supervisors that more attention was needed to be paid to the matter, involving the deceased.

“The ranks at the station have a duty to report such matters to their Commander, who will raise these with the Commissioner of Police, who will, if necessary, consult with the Minister. This was not done in this case. There was a failure on the part of the Guyana Police Force to recognise the signals that were emanating from the reports that were made, by the teen.

“Reports have been received by the Ministry of Home Affairs from many parts of the country that persons who make reports at some police stations are sometimes treated shabbily; no serious attention is paid to their reports; and investigations, in some instances, are conducted at a slow pace.
Such action could result in the death of a virtual complainant or victim – an outcome that could be avoided.

“In response to the explanation by the police that insufficient detectives are available to address reports, the Ministry of Home Affairs is aggressively pursuing steps to beef-up the number of detectives at CID Headquarters, and in all police divisions.

“The Minister of Home Affairs has been meeting with members of Community Policing Groups, country-wide, exhorting them to be the extra ‘eyes and ears’ of the police, in their respective communities.

“The records at the Ministry indicate that there is a Community Policing Group at Leonora.  The question of how the group was unaware of the issues surrounding the deceased young woman, arises. The groups, each of which comprises members of the respective communities, are expected to know what is going on in their communities, and alert the police, accordingly. If they neglect to do so, they would be failing their communities.

“The Ministry of Home Affairs is once again calling on the general public to report any matter that requires the attention of the police, faithfully and promptly, to the Guyana Police Force. The untimely passing of young Neesa Lalita Gopaul should be a wake-up call for all.  For members of the public to say that they do not want to get involved, when they know of the commission of a crime, is abdication of their civic responsibility.

“The Ministry has been consistently urging the police to maintain confidentiality in its engagements with the public.  Assurances have been given by the Force that that principle is being maintained.
“This recent incident has reinforced the general view that there is the need for more collaboration to be forged between the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Guyana Police Force, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security and its Child Protection Agency, and the Ministry of Education, to address the social ills that affect our young people. The Ministry of Home Affairs will continue to promote this idea.

“Meanwhile, in an effort to prevent a similar occurrence, and to ensure that the Ministry of Home Affairs is involved in the exercise of judgement in facilitating preventive action, where necessary, the management of the Guyana Police Force has been directed to submit, on a daily basis, to the Ministry, updates on reports dealing with domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual offences, “ the statement concluded.