THERE was a sickening report published in the Stabroek News recently that a young woman, just 18 years old, was allegedly raped and subsequently forced to detail her sex life in front of her mother and the alleged rapist- a taxi driver with whom the family was familiar. After that, the young woman took her life.

The situation and these allegations are damning. We continue to talk about eradicating all forms of violence against women; yet, here is a young woman who left to attend a party and was allegedly harmed by someone in a position of trust. What’s worse is that the young woman spoke out and went to the authorities (an inherently brave act simply because fear and stigma often lead to silence), but police officers allegedly mishandled the concerns brought by the women. It is truly a damning but saddening situation.

If the allegations are true, it raises several questions. Are the police not aware of their responsibility to protect women, especially those in these vulnerable positions?

In a letter to the editor, women’s rights activist Danuta Radzik reminded the public that the Sexual Offences Act clearly stated that confrontations between the complainant and the accused are unlawful. This means that the young woman should have never been forced to detail the incident in front of the alleged rapist, the taxi driver.

Furthermore, she stated that complainants should never be in the presence of the accused nor that of other witnesses for the accused, unless for an identification parade by way of audio-visual link, two-way mirror, or other means whereby the accused cannot see the complainant.

Concerning this, Radzik asks the critical question: “Have the police ranks and police officers of the Cove & John Police Station not received any training on the Sexual Offences Act (SOA)?”

Is it that they really haven’t received any training?

Or, do we continue to read about these unfortunate situations because we are plagued by some enduring lackadaisical “police culture”? Is it because of the bare minimum educational requirements (primary education) for entry to the force?

While writing this column I thought about what the police force is really supposed to do. And, as a management studies student, the importance of outlining the common values and goals of an organisation has been emphasised to me enough times; doing so allows all members of the organisation to better understand their roles in the organisation, as they make their unique contributions to the achievement of the organisation’s goals.

It turns out, the mission of the Guyana Police Force and its auxiliaries is “… to serve all citizens and communities of Guyana in a professional, proactive and accountable manner.”

From the report, it appears as though the woman tried to get evidence (as best as she could, given the circumstances) and again, she reported the incident in a short period. But, as the report detailed, the young girl was interrogated about her sex life in front of her alleged rapist and mother.

Because of the aforementioned (but not exhaustive) provisions of the Sexual Offences Act, one can reason that based on the allegations, the police did not professionally nor proactively execute their duties. The young woman was allegedly accused of lying, all while she was there to report a heinous crime such as rape.

As the family deals with the loss of their loved one, one can only hope that these allegations will be thoroughly investigated. And, if these allegations are found to be true, one can hope that the involved officers will be held accountable.

Access to justice is fundamental and non-negotiable. It is a poor reflection of our communities and the society as a whole when we fail women. It would be absolutely abhorrent if police officers, the people tasked with law enforcement, are indeed guilty of these allegations. But I think it would be if they are not held accountable and if officers everywhere do not familiarise themselves with their responsibilities to protect vulnerable women.

If you would like to discuss this column or any of my previous writings, please feel free to contact me via email: vish14ragobeer@gmail.com