Accusations, then silence

Oct 03, 2026 Editorial, News

(Kaieteur News) – The PPP/C Government keeps on insisting that it is serious about crime. We could take that as a given, when there are actions that match those words. We are forced to go in a different direction when claims about looking out for the best interests of the victimised vanish into some political black hole, and alleged perpetrators are allowed to carry on as if nothing happened. There is a case of an alleged rape that happened at the hands of a senior Guyana Police Force officer. It has attracted a broadside of condemnation. Yet, after all the firm commitments about getting to the bottom of alleged crimes, and that there are no sacred cows, the best that arms of the government can do is hide behind a wall of silence.

Rape is as serious as they come, with lifetime trauma inflicted on some victims. In interactions between men and women, especially where the men have all of the power, women come out on the losing end most frequently. With a female Minister of Home Affairs, one that has oversight of the Guyana Police, expectations were high that there would be some information on what was being done with the accuser’s report of rape. Minister Oneidge Walrond was silent too long, and when she finally broke her silence, embarrassed herself. What “formal confrontation” could there be between the accuser and accused in this situation, when that is prohibited? The minister seemed tentative, but felt that the senior officer should be sent on administrative leave. That should have been the first step. Also, there are other women who hold senior positions in the PPP/C Government, but who are afraid to speak.