PROFESSOR Alvin Bowen, lecturer at the University of Guyana, is currently in police custody for allegedly attempting to sexually assault a female student of the faculty.
Professor Bowen lectures the course MNG120, Business and Management Environment. The student gave the following account of what transpired last Monday evening:
“I was unaware of when (Professor Bowen’s) classes started, which made me miss the mid-semester examinations. One evening earlier, a few weeks ago, I went to his office with a friend, where he told us that we need to do a lot of work to catch up with the subject; and, as such, he offered private tutoring, which was agreed to at a sum of $4000 per hour twice weekly.
“Last Monday evening, I went to his office alone, as my other friend was unable to attend the session. He (Bowen) made me wait outside for approximately half-hour, due to the fact that he had students visiting to hand in assignments, etc.
“At approximately 7pm, he invited me into his office, where we started discussing some in-class assignments that he had given in class, and he told me that I would need to do them. I then asked him if we can start studying for the finals, which is scheduled to be held on June 29.
“He then asked me to come beside him as I was sitting in the chair opposite his desk. I obliged and went beside him, where there was a clipboard lying on the desk with blank papers, but he then lifted those up and revealed some other documents, which turned out to be some questions.
“He then placed his hand around me as I was standing on his right side, and rested his hand on my back, and then started lifting up my shirt and rubbing my back in a sexual manner. He then proceeded to rub my back further down to the waistline of my jeans. I then tried to pull away from him, but as his hand was around me, he managed to pull me in closer, but I mustered some energy and stepped away from him.
“He asked me what I would be willing to do to get the paper, so I decided to act smart and asked him what he wanted me to do. He asked me if I would tell my friends anything, and in return I asked him, ‘Why would I do such a thing?’
“I proceeded to calmly pick up my bag and move slowly towards the door, after realizing for quite a while what the man’s intentions were. Upon reaching the door, which was unlocked, I yanked it open and walked out, but turned back and said to him, ‘You messed with the wrong girl.’
“As he got up from his chair, I got scared and ran away, and he went to the door and shouted to me, come back, I will give you the final paper. Don’t tell anyone what happened.”
The student claimed she ran straight into the parking lot and into her car, where she called her mother, who requested her to come out instantly.
She and a friend went to the police station some minutes after, and reported the matter, which caused the police, accompanied by her friend, to go to the faculty, and they met the man in his office. He was arrested and taken to the police station.
She stated that she returned to the faculty the next day to report the incident to the dean, who listened to her story and took her to the office, where they discovered the man’s relatives in his office packing away his stuff. The student stated that the dean asked them all to leave immediately, and the door was locked.
She expressed misgivings where the documents were packed away, as she saw this as tampering with evidence.
Professor Bowen is being kept in police custody until the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) completes conducting further investigations.