PERSONS along the jetty at the Vreed–en-Hoop foreshore are of the view that the claims of an 18-year-old boy and his mother that he had been gang-raped by ten men have some element of truth.

On Sunday, the Guyana Chronicle paid a visit to the community where the incident reportedly took place and spoke with several persons who requested anonymity.
According to persons who agreed to speak without being recorded, there is a gang of boys in the area in question who would prey on young men and sexually molest them at a house in the neighbourhood.
This publication was also informed that in most cases, the acts would be consensual, as the perpetrators do find persons who would willingly comply with the activity.
The comments from residents come just days after this publication received information to this effect from a caller who also did not identify himself but said that persons in the area are aware of what goes on at the particular house.
On Sunday, the persons were very reluctant to point out the exact house where the acts would usually occur, but this publication was informed it is situated closer to the Demerara River, and has to be accessed through a slushy reserve area, passing several other little shacks which have been erected along the jetty.
Police sources related that they have also received such information about the regular activities at this house but persons have not been coming forward to speak on the record.
In addition persons have said that the police investigation would have gone further if the woman had taken her son immediately to the police station to make a report of the gang rape.
According to information reaching this publication, when the woman visited the police station with her son he seemed to be in good health and spirits but was having difficulty sitting. However the mother took the young man to the hospital instead, rather than allowing him to remain at the station to give a statement when he was able to.
The following day when police ranks visited the teenager at the hospital to take a statement from him and check on his condition, it was found that his health had deteriorated tremendously.
The police are now left to wait until the young man’s health is improved and he is able to speak to them. Until now all the information that the police have pertaining to the matter was reported to them by the young man’s mother.
Last week, the main suspect in the matter broke his silence when he spoke with the Guyana Chronicle in the presence of his parents and an aunt.
The suspect denied the allegation being leveled against him, and maintained that never at any time did he and others engage in any form of sexual activities with the now hospitalised teen.
The suspect admitted, however, that he did take his friend to two different parties but after his friend was behaving in a strange manner he placed him in a car and sent him home.
He also noted that for several hours the young man was not in his company and suggested that the alleged rape victim and his mother should come clean and disclose where he was for that period of time, what he did and with whom.
Meanwhile, doctors have reportedly told the mother of the young man that he was raped repeatedly. The woman is refuting claims that her son has any mental illness as is being suggested by the main suspect in the case.
The police had picked up the main suspect and held him for 72 hours and then again requested his presence after the mother of the alleged victim claimed that the suspect and his father had showed up at the Georgetown Public Hospital and threatened them.
Efforts Monday to contact the mother of the alleged victim to get an update on his condition were futile.

(By Leroy Smith)