(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.
The history of the last few years of the government has been that whenever an allegation of this kind surfaces, there are frantic efforts to conceal the matter, intimidate the victim, force them into retreat, and protect the alleged wrongdoer. That sequence has played out so often that it is now ingrained in the expectations of citizens. Could this be what is happening, once again? A man with much power as part of his official role is the recipient of what gives every impression of governmental circling of the wagons. We have no knowledge, we are in no position, to pronounce on the innocence or guilt of anyone, and we make that clear in this situation.
What is alarming, however, is the silence that has many layers, and may be muffling quite a bit. The commissioner of police cannot be the voice that is missing at a time like this. The Minister of Home Affairs has to be concerned about how she is seen, when weakness has become her automatic go-to standard. When women are allegedly victimised, probably weak and vulnerable women, and women in the PPP/C Government’s cabinet tighten their mouths, so that no sound escapes, then that sends a message to the public. There is more to the story of alleged rape, but the government is still putting its story together in the hope of getting it in some sort of acceptable state. That can never be good enough. Once the senior police officer is in the clear, that should be in the public domain, as a matter of fairness. If, on the other hand, there are doubts about his representations, with pieces missing or not adding up, there is a duty to the victim and to the public for something to be said. A bland, safe, official statement from the commissioner or minister would represent a welcome start.
Both the commissioner and the minister should know that silence, or belated disclosure, do not inspire. Confidence and trust are not given a shot in the arm. The opposite holds true: silence and retreat open the door to speculation, and the endless suspicions that take hold of the imagination. After all these years in office, and more than its share of scandal and attempts at coverup, the PPP/C Government should be wiser. Silence and delay do not help its cause. The accuser suffers in silence. The accused struggles to continue as normal, while the juniors and seniors and strangers give him a sideways look. Delay damages all involved, wastes time.
Source: Kaieteur News
