A BAR at Soesdyke Junction has been shut down and several persons taken into police custody following the circulation of a disturbing video showing a young woman being sexually assaulted in full view of patrons.
The footage, which quickly went viral on social media, captured what appeared to be a female of Amerindian descent being violently violated while bystanders looked on, some recording, others cheering.
According to a police statement, the incident reportedly occurred at Raghoo’s Bar, which has since been closed indefinitely pending the outcome of an active police investigation.
Police in Regional Division 4B confirmed that the bar’s owner, Mr. Omesh Raghoo, is assisting with the ongoing probe.
“The Guyana Police Force takes incidents of this nature very seriously and remains committed to ensuring justice is served under the law,” the statement said.
Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, expressed outrage over both the assault and the reaction of onlookers.
“It was most reprehensible to see persons filming the incident rather than helping this woman, and the DJ encouraging the perpetrator to perform lewd acts on the victim,” she stated, after the footage came to her attention.
She further revealed that the Ministry acted swiftly, collaborating with the Guyana Police Force and the Ministry of Home Affairs to address the incident.
“So far, the bar has been identified and shut down, persons are in custody of the Police. All necessary support will be provided to the young woman by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security.”
In her plea to the public, Minister Persaud called for greater vigilance and empathy.
“I urge persons not to share the video as this is a further violation of the victim. I call on citizens to be public spirited and not just record these things on their phones, but offer help and report these serious incidents,” she said.
The Ministry of Home Affairs echoed that call for restraint, stating, “We urge members of the public to refrain from sharing these videos out of respect for the victim and the integrity of the investigation.” The Ministry confirmed that efforts are being made to locate and support the victim.
Law enforcement officials are asking anyone with information related to the incident to contact the 4B Divisional Headquarters at Diamond or report to the nearest police station.
Authorities have committed to providing regular updates as the investigation unfolds.