No report ever filed against Berbice murder/ rape suspects- Commander

By Leroy Smith

Assistant Commissioner of Police Lyndon Alves today revealed that no report of child molestation was recorded in the Police diaries or logbooks in his Division against the two suspects charged with the rape and murder of 13-year-old Leonard Archibald.

Archibald’s body was pulled from the Berbice River on Sunday after he went missing two days prior. He was reportedly raped and then dumped in the river by two young men from the East Bank Berbice community of Sisters Village.

Alves explained that after claims were made that the Police ignored earlier reports against the men for similar offences, the Guyana Police Force launched an investigation to ascertain the accuracy of the claims.

The investigation, which was sanctioned by acting Commissioner of Police David Ramnarine, is being handled by the Police Office of Professional Responsibility.

Alves is now calling on the residents who have been claiming that the men committed similar acts in the past to come forward and provide the Police with evidence.

Alves said that an officer from the Police Complaints Department would be visiting the community to take statements from residents. He reminded them that without information and evidence there is very little that the Police can do.

Earlier this week, Director of Children Services Ann Greene indicated that the child could have been alive today had the community acted differently. After the disappearance of the child, his murder and the arrest of the two suspects, villagers came forward to say that they heard screams coming from the home of one of the suspects the very night the young boy went missing.

Alves today echoed those sentiments stating that it remains unfortunate that the residents would wait until such a gruesome crime was committed before coming forward with the information of what was happening in the community.

The Overwinning Primary School student was raped and tossed into the Berbice River after reportedly being sodomised by the two men who were passed through the court on Wednesday on charges of murder.

While one reportedly provided the Police with a confession statement, the other young man who has not been saying much, waited until his court day to plead his innocence of the crime to the reporters present there.  His father had also come out in defence of him, stating that his son is innocent of the charge.