Georgetown : The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport today responded to an article published in the online news entity, Inews Guyana, with the title “Is NOC a Sex Camp? More inmates escape claiming sexual harassment”.
According to the Government Information Agency’s statement, documentation shows that details of the sequence of events, it was explained that on March 22 after a church service, a female student started to use loud indecent language, and in an aggressive manner in the female dormitory, an episode which lasted almost five minutes.
The said student, along with three female students then ran out of the facility and through the perimeter fence, despite the efforts of two female supervisors to stop them from leaving. Shortly after, four male students ran behind the female students to the densely forested backlands of NOC. A search party consisted of male and female staff members followed them; while an absconding report was made to the Suddie Police Station by another staff member.
The document stated that, “staff was informed by the Police that there was no rank available to assist in carrying out the search. Efforts to detain these students were still made without the help of the Police. It was noted that during the search, staff members were injured and verbally abused by the absconders.
The following day (March 23), the search continued. Telephone calls were made to all available numbers from the students’ file to parents and guardians respectively. A few numbers continuously went to voice mail. At 19:45hrs spot checks were made by police patrol around the compound.
On the morning of March 24, another team of staff members comprising both males and females were able to locate the camp site of the absconded students and were able to retrieve them. The female students were taken to the Medical Centre where they were examined and were referred to the Suddie Public Hospital, where medical examinations were done on four female students.
A total of 11 students (seven boys and four girls) were then taken to the Suddie Police Station. The matter is now engaging the Suddie Magistrate’s court. It was stated clearly that staff members were also threatened and verbally abused by some parents and guardians after the last Court hearing on April 17, 2014.
At present three males are in custody at the Suddie police station while four male students and four female students are at the Juvenile Holding Centre at Sophia awaiting the Court’s decision.
The Ministry assures that no report and/or evidence was provided pointing to any form of sexual abuse by staff members, and at no time male students were sent to assist in bringing back the female absconders.
The Ministry is also insisting that parents or guardians who are making allegations of rape should do so at a police station, in keeping with established legal procedures, rather than a news outlet.
