Top tier of judiciary well poised to curb sexual violence

Former President David Granger on Friday said that the Chancellor of the Judiciary, Chief Justice and Chief Magistrate, all of whom are women, are well poisedtoassistincurbingthe surge of sexual violence in Guyana.

Mr Granger was at the time speaking during his weekly programme, 'The PublicInterest'.

“The Chancellor of the J u d i c i a r y, Yo n e t t e Cummings-Edwards, Chief Justice, Roxane George –Wiltshire, and Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan − three women − are in the right place and at the right time to contribute to curbing the surge in sexual violence,”hesaid.

Sexual violence cases consistently constitute about half of all criminal cases in the Berbice, Demerara and Essequibo Magisterial Districts. − Sexual violence includingthesexualabuseof boys and girls, forced prostitution, and trafficking of persons for the purpose of sexual exploitation – are l i a b l e t o c r i m i n a l prosecution.

The former president said that the Chancellor's opening of three Sexual Offence Courts in the three magisterial districts in 2017 and 2019 under the A

- Fmr. President David Granger

investigations, inept prosecution, an inefficient (ignorant) jury system at court, indecisive attitudes of victims to giving evidence and the discontinuance of casesbyvictims.

Former President, David Granger

Partnership for National Unity +Alliance for Change

( A P N U + A F C ) Administration helped to increase the rate of convictions in the face of risinglevelsofviolentcrime.

He said that young persons, aged 15-24, endure higher rates of every type of sexual violence − including rape, sexual harassment, and unwantedsexualtouching.

Mr Granger expressed theviewthatsexualviolence can be curbed but noted that conviction rates improve only slowly owing to insufficient 'rape kits' at hospitals, inadequate identification of assailants, insubstantial evidence at

Mr. Granger noted that education is important because legislation has expanded the range of offences, increased penalties, improved measures to protect victims during police investigations and court proceedings, initiated provisions to track sex convicts and eliminated exemptions from marital rapeprosecution.

Granger said that sexual violence against women and young persons has been difficult to eradicate owing t o c o m p l i c i t y o r concealment of the crime, secrecyandsilenceoffamily members who fear the withdrawal of financial support by relatives who are perpetrators, and acceptance of monetary compensation toavoidprosecution.

Victims of violence have no choice but to rely on the criminal justice system for the enforcement of the law and the dispensation of justice, the Former President concluded.