Guyana records over 300 sexual assault cases every month – Ministry of Human Services – INews Guyana
Guyana records over 300 cases of sexual assault every month, according to statistics from the Human Services and Social Security Ministry’s Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit.
On Tuesday, Guyana joined the international community to observe Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. Sexual violence is a major public health, human rights and social justice issue that impacts millions globally.
In Guyana, the Ministry through its Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit in collaboration with The Imperial House launched its ‘Asking for It’ Exhibition and Workshop.
Held at the Umana Yana in Georgetown, the event is dedicated to raising awareness about sexual assault. It also intends to challenge victim-blaming narratives.
Speaking at the opening ceremony was Head of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit, Dr Cona Husbands who revealed that hundreds of sexual assault cases are recorded every month in Guyana.
“In Guyana we do have a significant number of cases of sexual abuse… early up in the year there was a little peak and now it has started to decline but basically we have on average on a monthly basis an excess of 300 cases of sexual assault every year.”
In fact, she revealed that women and children account for majority of these cases that were recorded.
“Greater than 90 per cent of these cases are women…over 70 per cent of those cases are children and persons under the age of 18 years old, and this is a significant number,” she added.
Also present at the event was Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud who highlighted that while women and girls are the main demographic affected by sexual abuse in Guyana, men and boys are also victims.
“We must never forget that boys and men experience violence. We live in a culture, a Caribbean culture or a Guyanese culture where men are told it is not okay to be anything less than strong.”
“Boys are told if that happened to you, you’re probably making it up or something is wrong with you. So, men and boys must not only be looked at as survivors too but also equal partners in this mission that we have to counter and eradicate violence,” she emphasised.
Meanwhile, the exhibition will be opened to members of public until April 7.
