GUYANA observed Child Protection Week 2020, which was held under the theme, “Breaking the Silence on Child Sexual Abuse” from September 6th—12th, 2020.

However, sexual abuse of children, where perpetrators go unpunished, horrifying as the facts and statistics are, comprises a miniscule percentage of abuse in general by the bullies of society on the weak and vulnerable.

A news item, headlined “Disfigured, rejected teen secures 14 subjects at CSEC Exam,” published on September 27th in this newspaper, relates that teenager, Rickey Risaul Somwaru, was set afire five years ago, when he attempted to prevent his already intoxicated father from consuming more alcohol. The ensuing physical, emotional and psychological wounds consequenced from such a bestial act did not prevent 17-yr-old Ricky from securing passes in 14 subjects — grades one to three at CSEC.
However, this resilience of spirit and mind prevailing over unendurable suffering is an exception to the norm, because, generally, such horrific experiences

leave ineradicable scars – seen and unseen, that often leads to self-destructive acts by victims.
When God gifted Adam and Eve with Paradise, he gave them a choice that would have either enabled them to remain in the Garden of Eden, or live a life in which human frailties would impact the quality and the comprehensive landscape of their lives, and the lives of all their descendants. They made the latter choice.

The all-powerful Lord could have merely created mankind with all the virtues, which he did, with the added dimension of allowing everyone the option to choose either the pathway to Heaven, or to follow Satan’s edicts. This is the genesis of democracy, and the forerunner to all parliamentary configurations, which are supposed to be the bastions of human laws and the caretakers of human rights.

Within the construct of humanity, there is one primary equation that should be inviolate; and that is the sanctity of the family. But because of serious breaches in that bastion fortifying the protection of family units, intercessions are sometimes necessary to invest a degree of protective legislation into the equation, especially where there are spouses who batter their domestic partners repeatedly, but are yet set free, with the ultimate consequence of finally depriving that partner of her life – and here I lay blame squarely at the feet of the guardians of the law, because theirs are oftentimes the decisions, and the action or inaction that determines the fate of the innocent victims and the casualties of the demonic actions by beasts in human form.

Hence, the various pieces of legislation driven by former Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Priya Manickchand. But sometimes legislation is not enough and the justice system fails the society.

Responding to public outcry over the Neesa Gopaul tragedy, where the young girl fell through the cracks of the system and eventually met her death at the hands of the people she should have trusted most in the world, Manickchand said “… abuse and abuse of children and women are so often met with apathy from society in general.”

She iterated that, policy-wise, everything was in place to prevent such a tragedy and averred that manuals and protocols are written, training on said manuals done and officers at the agency do only child protection work as compared to other offices in the ministry who do general duties, which include so much that their expertise is sometimes stretched.

“It is incumbent on officers to do what is required of them, not be lazy or ignorant of laws and/or best practice when dealing with the nation’s children. If officers do not do what they are paid to do, then we cannot ensure that this does not happen again.”

PPP/C Governments have periodically trained service providers, yet, despite these myriad interventions at the level of central government, the victims continue to fall through the cracks.

Spousal and sexual abuse, including incest and rape, continue unabated, and many partners have been murdered after prolonged instances of spousal abuse. In an interview with the Chronicle in 2014, Minister Manickchand, speaking out of the box of her then portfolio as Minister of Education, and addressing issues that had been integral to her former mandate, said that under no circumstances should a woman remain with an abusive partner.

She rejected the idea of domestic violence being a personal matter and asserted that it is a crime against the state. Referring to the comprehensive 1996 Domestic Violence Act, and the new Sexual Offences Act, the minister contended that the woman’s right of choice should be respected at all times; and she listed her reasons, among which is the inability of a female to make rational decisions while her emotions, as well as practical matters and considerations, are involved.

It is incumbent upon the state to provide the mechanisms to facilitate self-empowerment for a victim to leave an abusive spouse, and Minister Manickchand was adamant that it is only when the woman is emotionally and psychologically ready to leave, which is almost always a very difficult decision for her, she should be given every co-operation by the relevant bodies to facilitate the process of her leaving the abusive relationship which, she asserted, includes the police and the legal system.

Recognising that men can also be victims, the Men’s Affairs Bureau (MAB) was established under Minister Manickchand’s watch. She informed that MAB was established to encourage men to seek resolution to their own problems; to recognise that being emotional is not the domain only of female partners; to relate to situations that their counterparts may encounter and to seek for and effect peaceful resolutions that can lead to compromises and even heal breaches in relationships, among others.

The minister concluded by urging law-enforcement bodies, that when a woman is ready to leave, then the relevant institutions and personnel must provide all the requisite adjunctive support necessary to facilitating the move away from an abusive, explosive and potentially murderous situation.