A POPULAR Essequibo Coast photographer is in custody at the Anna Regina Police Station for allegedly raping a 13-year-old student of the Anna Regina Multilateral School. Reports are that though the incident occurred since February 18 of this year, the child’s parents only learnt of it on Friday afternoon.
Sources say it all began when the parents went to the Probation and Welfare Office at Anna Regina to discuss the child’s sudden strange behaviour, whereby she had taken of late to being increasingly rude, and threatening her mother on occasion.
On their return home, they told the child what they had done, at which point she blurted out that her  recalcitrance had to do with her being raped by the photographer in question at his studio.
The father, upon hearing the shocking news, demanded to know why he was not told of the incident earlier. Thereupon, the mother, in whom the child had earlier confided about the incident, replied that because she was afraid to discuss the matter with him, she took the family priest into her confidence.
The priest, in turn, perhaps not wanting to betray that confidence, never reported the matter to the Police or discussed it with the child’s father, while the photographer, who is en elder in the said church where the child fellowships, attends services regularly.
The Chronicle has since learnt that while the photographer has promised to pay a hefty sum as compensation to the family, the incident has not only affected the child mentally and physically, but her studies as well.
Reports are that while the child’s mother is amenable to the idea of compensation, the father, who is more concerned about his daughter’s welfare, is all for wanting the law to take its course and justice to prevail. (Rajendra Prabhulall)