THE Demerara October 2025 Criminal Assizes officially commenced on Tuesday, October 7 at the High Court in Georgetown.

This year’s sittings will see the hearing of 143 criminal cases, including matters related to murder, sexual offences, manslaughter, and other serious crimes.

The list of cases scheduled for trial at the October 2025 criminal session paints a sobering picture of the country’s criminal landscape.

A review of the document reveals that sexual offences, particularly against children, dominate the docket. There are at least 55 cases of rape of a child under 16, many involving multiple counts, and about10 cases of sexual activity with a child family member.

Together, this amounts to about 65 child-related sexual offence cases, making up the single largest category before the court.

In addition to these, there are over 20 cases of rape involving adult victims.

Beyond sexual offences, the list also includes a significant number of murder and manslaughter cases. More than 40 individuals are charged with murder, with a few facing retrials or multiple indictments, while at least nine persons are charged with manslaughter.

Other matters on the docket include charges of attempted murder, wounding with intent, robbery under-arms, narcotics trafficking, and accessory after the fact of murder.

The Demerara Criminal Assizes are held four times a year: On the second Tuesday in January, the first Tuesday in April, the first Tuesday in June, and the first Tuesday in October.