…victim says attempts were made to settle matter

TWO constables attached to the Turkeyen Police Station are now in hot water after a woman who went to the precinct on Old Year’s Night to make a report claimed that they raped her in the barracks there.

Detailing the circumstances leading up to the alleged rape, the woman said that she was selling at Sophia a few blocks from her home, when persons who were playing with squibs tossed one in the direction of her business place and it exploded in her son’s face.
She said that she left her business and went to the station to make a report and after making that report, she asked to use the washroom at the station.
One rank reportedly indicated to her that the washroom in the lower flat of the building was not working, and as such, she was escorted to the upper flat of the station by a male rank, who pointed her in the direction of the washroom area.

Detailing the chain of events that occurred after she was shown to the bathroom, the young lady said:
“Upon pulling up my underwear, I hear the door push and he barge in in front of me and he choke me by my neck; vice me behind my neck, and say ‘Hold she foot, hold she foot.’

“And I see a next one come and hold meh foot, and I start fighting up, and I fell down. And he say ah gaffuh give he f**k, or else he gone murder meh heah. “And I start fighting with them, and they lift me to a room, and they start sexually assaulting meh, but I could not really fight back anymore, because the choking and the abusing that I got in the bathroom was too much, and I got scared for my life.”

The terrified woman told the Guyana Chronicle that it was the first time she’d ever seen the two ranks who allegedly raped her, and that though they had only vaginal sex with her, they took turns, and when they were done, they both ran out of the room.
The woman said that after sorting herself out, she ventured onto the lower flat of the building and went to the police corporal on duty and told him what had transpired; that two police ranks had just raped her.

VERY DISMISSIVE
But instead of showing any concern, she said, the corporal was very dismissive, saying that she had come to the station to make one report, and here she was making another.
He then advised her to join the patrol which the same two ranks that allegedly raped her were on and let them accompany her to investigate the first report.

He then suggested that when that investigation was done, she should return to the station, by which time he would be in a better frame of mind to entertain the report about the rape.
According to the woman, she was at first hesitant to go with the ranks, but decided to go as she knew that her husband was in the direction that the patrol was heading.
Once there, she said, she informed her husband about what had transpired, and as he attempted to confront the ranks with the allegation, they drove away and went back to the station.

She and her husband reportedly gave chase, and when they arrived at the station, the officer in charge refused to entertain their report and instead chased them out of the station.
“I had to lie down on the ground, cry and holler. I say me ain’t leaving here till I get justice, and he keep telling meh husband to take me out of the station; take me home,” the woman said.

In the height of the commotion, however, a police sergeant, who had apparently just come off the road, intervened and after hearing what had transpired, immediately took the woman into a room, summoned a female rank from another station to come and escorted her to the hospital for a medical.

However, the nightmare did not end there, as according to the victim, the very female rank was attempting to facilitate a settlement in the matter between her and relatives of the two accused ranks.

Said she: “When I come, in the process of getting the rape kit and getting myself look after, every minute she interrupting me to answer these various people who were calling on her phone, and telling me they get money; don’t let me create no scene; that all ah we is women alike. But I tell them I don’t want no money.”

PEACE OFFERING
The settlements which were reportedly being offered were in the sums of $40,000 at first, then that figure climbed to $60,000.

She said that when she refused to heed the constant bombarding, the police took a drastic decision to remove her from the hospital environment and take her back to the Cove and John Police Station, where they had her sit for more than six hours trying to get her to give them a statement that was favourable to the two officers.

She said that although she was not feeling well, and was drowsy, they kept putting the story to her, and before she could respond to say if they had the details correct or not, the ranks were recording those as if the utterances were hers.

The Guyana Chronicle also learnt that the woman, during the process of giving the statement, kept fainting and falling off the chair, as she had not eaten since the incident. But instead of allowing her to go get something to eat or drink, the ranks kept propping her up, and continued grilling her until they were satisfied that they had gotten what they were after in terms of a satisfactory “statement”.

A police source has since confirmed being aware that the relatives of two policemen have been seeking to have the matter settled out of court.

Divisional Commander Calvin Brutus, when contacted on Tuesday, said that he was really embarrassed at the allegations being made against the ranks at a time when the force is looking to foster stronger relationships with members of the public.

He said that already the matter is under investigation at the level of the police Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) as detectives work around the clock to have the file properly completed and sent for legal advice.