OVERSEAS-based Guyanese Sharmin Prince last Monday started an online petition that is geared towards attracting government’s attention on the need for policies incorporated in an anti-child sexual abuse bill called the “Archibald’s Law,” memorialising and immortalising young Leonard Archibald who was sodomised and murdered recently.

Although the ultimate goal is to attract 10,000 signatures, so far, the petition has already received well over 7000.

Prince is a survivor of child sexual abuse and the host of “Talk Time with Sharmin”, an active talk show in New York, which highlights the effects of societal and personal trauma abused victims have endured and are still living with.

The petition will be delivered to the Guyana Government, Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo and Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan.

Local social activist and concerned parent, Sharon Lalljee-Richard told Chronicle in an invited comment on Thursday that the Prince’s petition will also go to international human rights organisations.

According to her, Prince also plans to add testimonials from survivors so that people can see how this kind of abuse is affecting lives.

Lalljee-Richard strongly believes in the need to revive seemingly lost values like social justice, fairness and good old compassion for each other as a vital means of strengthening Guyana.

“In the absence of much-needed policies and constitutional reform, I believe that our people must help themselves by becoming more active in issues that affect their wellbeing. They must begin by exercising personal responsibility for their own actions and also by being their brother’s keepers. Though government intervention and support is critical, we must strive to be self-dependent where relevant. Unless we take such steps, nothing changes for the better,” she said.

Meanwhile, Prince noted in the petition that Archibald was sodomised and killed by a serial rapist and his accomplice in Sisters Village, Berbice, and that the child would have been alive today had “these rapists” been arrested for previously reported sex crimes against children.

“After coming out of hiding, the Guyanese police did not arrest these heinous perpetrators, consequently providing them the opportunity to commit this barbarous act against an innocent child; taking his young, promising life.
“We demand that this case is sent to the High Court in Georgetown Guyana as to ensure transparency and rebuild trust in Guyana’s judicial system. The community feels betrayed and has lost confidence in the police department because previous reports made were blatantly ignored for whatever reasons.”

The petition continued that an independent body must be instituted to investigate complaints regarding police dereliction of duties, such as not responding to calls or following through with charges about child sexual abuse.

“Law enforcement officials in rural areas are in need of intense and ongoing training to contend with cases of child sexual abuse and its devastating effects on victims — individuals, families and communities; as this phenomenon can adversely affect the victimised child throughout his/her lifespan.

“Undeniably, there is also a sense of powerlessness amidst many communities in Guyana, especially in the country, and there must be efforts made to re-sensitised said collectives; Sisters Village residents, for instance, no longer function as their brother’s and sister’s keeper. Duly, mechanisms are needed to guarantee [that] these latent and continuing feelings of hopelessness are a thing of the past.”

The petition said the Guyana Police Force must implement and enforce a sexual abuse unit with trained and qualified personnel, specialising exclusively in issues of child sexual abuse, and further that the Child Sexual Abuse Unit must solely be responsible for the oversight and handling of all reported cases of child sexual offences regardless of geographical location, socio-economic status, political orientation, or any other variable.

“Furthermore, Leonard Archibald’s case illustrates that Guyanese demand greater fair and impartial juries ensuring justice as many victims of the alleged perpetrators bemoaned that they were afraid of coming forth because the assailants were bribing key individuals. We demand that laws and policies be enacted for an anti-child sexual abuse bill called the “Archibald’s Law,” memorialising and immortalising the beloved Leonard Archibald,” the petition further said.