A 24-year-old man has been taken into custody for raping a 13-year-old girl at Kwakwani, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice).
The incident was reportedly committed on Wednesday last, and while the details of the incident were not released to the media, the Police have said that a report was made, and, without hesitation, the suspect was arrested, and is assisting with investigations.
Only a few days ago, Police in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) launched a hunt for a taxi driver accused of raping a teenager. It has been reported that the teen had boarded the suspect’s vehicle and, instead of taking her to the desired destination, he drove some distance, parked, and committed the act. A report was made to the Police, and the teen was sent to be medically processed.
In May, Police in Regional Divisions One (Barima-Waini) and Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) voiced their concerns about the number of rape offences occurring in there. Region Eight Commander, Senior Superintendent Michael Kingston, has said the issue of rape is an “eyesore” for his ranks, given the number of reported cases.
He said that, so far, there have been nine reported cases of rape, even with a 14.3% decrease in serious crimes. This is compared to 12 cases in the corresponding period last year.
Kingston has also said he is working assiduously to ensure the region continues to see a decrease in cases of serious crime.
Meanwhile, Region One Commander, Superintendent Himnauth Sawh, has said his ranks are battling cases of rape. He said the reason for the increased cases of rape in Region One is the lack of education. As such, he said, the Police in Region One are also working with the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA), Child Link Inc, and Blossom Inc to reduce the cases of rape. For the year 2021, the Region saw almost 18 cases of rape, compared to this year, when the Region has seen 10 such cases so far.
