–officer who assaulted ‘child-mother’ detained

THE man who has been identified as a soldier in the alleged rape of an elderly woman in Berbice is not a serving member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), and the army officer who has been charged with assaulting his child-mother has been detained pending investigations and any ensuing disciplinary action, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) said Monday.

An Army statement said that the article carried on Page 60 of the Sunday, June 7 edition of the Kaieteur News alleging that a “soldier” was held on alleged rape charges is inaccurate, to the extent that the suspect held is not a serving member of the GDF.
The suspect had been embodied as a reservist to work at the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), and was subsequently disembodied on June 2, 2015.

Further, the Force states that contrary to the report, the man was not harboured on any of the GDF’s bases.

Additionally, the GDF said, the officer who had allegedly assaulted his child-mother has since been detained, and remains under arrest in Base Camp Ayanganna to facilitate investigations and any ensuing disciplinary action.

The army statement said the GDF continues to provide counselling to abusers and victims of abuse in this and other cases, and maintains a firm stance against interpersonal violence.