THE two soldiers accused of an alleged robbery and rape near the army barracks at Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast on Saturday night, are assisting the police with their investigations and have been placed under close arrest, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) confirmed on Monday.

“On Sunday 2018-10-14, two ranks of the Guyana Defence Force, attached to the 6 Infantry Battalion, Anna Regina, were placed under close arrest and are assisting police with their investigations, following an alleged robbery and sexual offence committed in the vicinity of the Anna Regina Community Centre Ground,” the GDF stated in a press release to the media.

Reports indicate that the rape was committed on a 26-year-old woman. Investigations revealed that the woman and her partner were at a community centre ground, when two men approached and began assaulting them. They then took turns as they sexually assaulted the woman and later stripped her partner of his jewellery.

The woman was rushed to a hospital in the area and was admitted for further medical attention. Relatives of the woman criticised the police handling of the matter, saying that the ranks seemed unconcerned, and were slow to react to the victim and her partner when they first reported the matter.

It was noted too that the woman’s partner who had recognised the men as members of the GDF.