Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan is urging citizens to speak out against sexual abuse and expose offenders.
Responding to questions at a recent press conference about an increase in rape cases in Essequibo, the Minister said: “we have a culture of silence and silence is violence.”
“We don’t want to talk…stay far away from it. No!… We have to be our brothers’ keeper and we have to speak out, that’s what I want,” the Minister told reporters at his party’s headquarters at Railway Line, Kitty, Georgetown.
According to Minister Ramjattan, speaking out will ensure that predators are prosecuted and jailed and also encourages others to be brave and speak out against their abusers.
In most cases, he said “the community knows the suspects that are the paedophiles and all of these sexual predators and so on,” as he called on residents to stop protecting paedophiles.
“The community and its activism is the best prevention.”
Ramjattan said in the county of Essequibo, oftentimes where relatives are involved, others beg for their release from police custody.
He noted that while the police are involved in catching criminals, parents have to also protect their children.
“I don’t know how you can prevent them from doing their mischief at their home except asking the parents to be more surveilling in relation to their young children.”
At the end of November 2018, the commander of ‘G’ Division (Essequibo Coast/Essequibo Islands) Khali Pareshram reported that there were 31 rape cases, an increase from the 12 reported in 2017.
