BETWEEN 2011 and this year , the Guyana Police Force recorded 1145 reports of cases of sexual violence committed against children and according to First Lady Sandra Granger , the figures seem lower than those reported to the Social Protection Ministry. The First Lady was at the time addressing a gathering at the Brickdam Police Station where she declared open a Travelling Exhibition , organised by the European Union (EU), in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Blossom, a local Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO). The exhibition features nine (9) pieces of art created by the child victims of sexual violence and will be moved to various police stations nationwide.
During the feature address the First Lady told the gathering, which included Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence , EU Ambassador Jernej Videti?, UNICEF Resident Representative Marianne Flach and other members of the Diplomatic Corps that police divisions “A”, “C” and “F” posted the highest number of cases of sexual violence between 2011 and 2016. “But I believe that these figures do not represent a true and accurate tally,” she said. She noted that the total evidence indicate a high incidence of rape and incest and Trafficking in Persons (TIP) in all rural and Hinterland areas.
The First Lady noted that the onus now is on the relevant stakeholders to obtain empirical data on the number and types of incidence of sex violence against children , the geographical areas in which it occurs and the systems which are put in place to prosecute the offenders . The data should also include the forms of counseling and support the victims and their families receive.
“This will require concerted efforts by our Social Protection, Public Health and the Education Ministries in the first instance to compute and analyze these data”, the First Lady said. She said that the stakeholders also include non- governmental organizations, including faith based NGOs, and social partners, including the private sector.
According to Mrs Granger, while it is fitting that the exhibits are being displayed in police stations in selected administrative regions, consideration should be given to the remaining regions.
“In this way it may be assumed that our legal enforcers are becoming attuned to their responsibilities to protect and serve all, and in particular the most vulnerable among us “, she added.
Ambassador Videti? told those gathered that the affected children have been robbed of their carefree, innocent childhoods and are now faced with nightmares, pain, shame, anger and scars both physical and emotional. ”And in one very, very sad case, with pregnancy and motherhood”, he added.
He said that the Travelling Exhibition is an ideal example of how all strata of Guyana can partner to fight child sexual abuse. “I note that the Childcare and Protection Agency is taking strides to enhance its inter-agency and professional collaboration with various stakeholders, especially non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and faith-based organisations (FBOs) to expand the social network support for the families at the community level”, Ambassador Videtic noted.
Shaundell Shipley of Blossom Inc., noted that the current records of convictions for persons held culpable of committing sexually violent acts against children is a cause for concern. She said that it gives rise for need for more protection for children. “It reinforces our need to become more proactive in protecting our communities”, she noted.
The police role in addressing the issue was pointed out as being of great importance and this was stressed by Assistant Commissioner, David Ramnarine, who pledged the force’s continuous support towards addressing sexual violence among other related issues. He said that some years ago the Police started a process to ensure that children in Guyana are given the necessary treatment, responses and attention, in terms of what is available in the justice system. This began through a process of ensuring that investigators receive special training to handle such issues, Ramnarine noted.
This travelling exhibition brings into focus the experiences of children, who have received counseling and are able to express their pain through the nine art pieces. The pieces were created through art therapy conducted by Sigrid Sandker, who worked with the children voluntarily. It will be a feature at several police stations across the country in Regions 2, 4, 6 and 10.
Speaking on the exhibition, UNICEF Representative, Marriane Flach noted that art is a powerful means of self-expression, particularly for children, who may sometimes not have the right words to express what they are thinking and feeling. She said it is especially true for children who have been sexually abused; some may even be too young to articulate what they have experienced. She said that encouraging the children to express themselves through art can help them to start the process of healing and overcome the trauma of their experience.
According to UNICEF, in 2015 more than 670 child sexual abuse cases were reported to the Childcare and Protection Agency (CC&PA). According to the First Lady in 2014 UNICEF estimated that globally 1 in 10 girls under 20 years, which evolves to approximately 20 million girls, were subject to sexual acts at some point in their lives.
The true depth of sexual violence against children remains hidden because of its sensitive or hidden nature, and cases are not reported because of fear, stigma or lack of trust in the authorities.