— speaking out and encouraging others to do the same

By Naomi Parris
WITHIN the last 28 years, Guyana has recorded some 4,562 cases of sexual assault, according to statistics from the Guyana Police Force’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The data covers the period 1990 to 2018.

However, there are still a number of sexual assault matters that go unheard since many victims are unable to speak out or seek justice.
Nevertheless, during the month of April which is dubbed Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a few brave young men and women have decided to share their stories. The objective of sharing their stories is to encourage others to bring their predators and other perpetrators to justice.

At just the tender age of 13, Brian was molested by someone he trusted within his religious community.

To date, that once scared little boy has grown into a marvellous young man; however, the memories of the assault still haunt him. The young man noted that because of his fear of being shunned and teased by his friends and family, he never spoke out.
However, he added that the time is now, so he has decided to speak out for other scared little boys who are being assaulted.

The young man noted that because of the stigmatisation that comes behind homosexuality, many young men are afraid to speak out because they are afraid of being labelled. He added that such fear has prevented him from speaking out and possibly saving another little boy from being assaulted.

Worldwide statistics has shown that fewer males come forward to report cases of sexual assault.

REBEKAH’S STORY
At a very tender age of two, Rebekah was exposed to something no child should ever have to experience. She was battered and sexually assaulted by the very persons she had trusted to protect her.

Born on September 13, 1994 in Flora, Suriname, Rebekah’s parents had original plans to give her up for adoption as they wanted a son instead of a daughter.
“My parents did not want me. They had planned to give me up for adoption but the woman who was supposed to adopt me, died three months before I was born… I was not allowed to speak. I was sick, dying from dengue. I would be beaten if I cried by my drunkard father, my mother condoned this,” the young woman said.

Being unable to speak because of fear, Rebekah used drawings as her voice to express herself since she was unable to speak.
“This is how I picked up my ability to draw. It was how I ‘spoke’. The truth is, drawing wasn’t my gift, nor my talent drawing was my pain.”

However, Rebekah was not the only one who suffered at the hands of her abusive parents; she has an older sister whom she no longer speaks to who felt the blunt of the abuse. She noted that her father started raping her sister when she was 12 and whenever her sister denied him, she would suffer the consequences.

“He would touch me where he isn’t supposed to, my privates, put intimate and fetish marks on my body. Compared to my sister’s trauma, I had it very easy regardless… He would beat me when she denied him sex. I’ve heard him telling her about what he’s going to do to me if she didn’t give in,” she stated.

It been some 12 years now since Rebekah made the biggest decision to run far away as she could from her abusive family; however, she cannot run from the memories.

The young woman recently decided to share her story with the world on several platforms.
“There is never a right time to post a story like this anyhow, but my sanity is at risk as I’ve been stuck on this story for far too long. I needed to [share]this before it’s too late, I don’t want this to be untold or unheard,” she said.