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Oct 19, 2017 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon
I know Guyana. I know the psychic void its people live with. I know the mentally nihilistic vortex that has destroyed feelings of humanity in this country. Against that fatalistic depiction of mine, I know nothing will happen to the Town Clerk, Royston King, over the report of sexual abuse of a minor who was taken into custody by a city police rank.
I am so emotionally upset by this incident that I called the Minister of Communities on Diwali morning.
I addressed him by his first name because I have known Ronald Bulkan for over thirty years and the friendship has been one of pleasant, mutual respect. I told Minister Bulkan that a day should not pass without him using his legal authority to fire Town Clerk Royston King. I made known to the Minister my emotional state of mind and the depth of my feeling over what happened to the juvenile.
I told the Minister the evidence is there that King knew about this legal and moral repugnancy two months ago and did not act. I was expressive in my condemnation of City Hall’s attitude. In straight language I told the minister that it wasn’t a case of solicitation and the youth offered sex on his own but that the minor was in custody, meaning he could not help himself.
I indicated to the Minister that such conduct would have brought dismissal in any other democratic country. Before I came off the phone, I asked him if he has anything to say to me. All he said was that he appreciated my concern and the call made to him to express that concern.
I will see as the days unfold what kind of person Ronald Bulkan is. I do not know if the Minister will use his legal authority acting in that capacity to dismiss King or he would want to consult his Cabinet colleagues. My mind is made up on this issue. If Bulkan seeks Cabinet’s approval and is refused then he should resign as Minister. If Cabinet chooses not to sanction King then the government of Guyana should be called upon by the citizenry to resign.
Let us trace the beginning of this story of a minor arrested by the rank and while in custody was sexually assaulted. Two months ago, on August 22, the juvenile was arrested. On August 23, the incident was reported to the Town Clerk and other officials of City Hall. From August 23, onwards, not one institution of the state including the police force and the Ministry of Social Protection, which has a Child Protection Department was contacted.
Where King got into hot water is the part of the Child Protection Law. The Act delineates in unambiguous grammar the obligations of citizens to report sexual harm to a minor. It is spelt out in Section 7 (1). Here are the words; “Where a person has direct information that a child is or may be in need of protective intervention, the person shall immediately report the matter to the CPA director, a probation officer appointed by the Public Service Commission or a Police Officer.”
The act stipulates that failure to inform the relevant authorities what you see and what you know can result in prosecution in which the penalty is $50,000 in fine.
King gets into further volcanic lava because it was revealed that the child made the allegation in front of him. To compound the situation the minor was asked to offer details in front of the accused. Such an atmosphere can lend to feeling of fear. Such a situation is not accommodated within the law relating to sexual offences.
Under the Sexual Offences Act, the accused is prevented from being in the presence of the victim when the offence is being described.
Here is the asinine part of King’s reaction. He told a statutory meeting of the City Council last Monday that when it was reported it was a mere allegation. You do not need to be a police detective or lawyer to know, all accusations begin as mere utterances.
Where an allegation changes shape from “mere” to factual is when the “mere” allegation is investigated. This involves witnesses, surveillance footage, looking for inconsistencies in the statements of both accuser and accused.
A minor is arrested then the city cop that made the arrest is seen to be having sex with the minor and witnessed by other ranks and their boss is told about this. Two months after the police are notified. So the ranks in questions have been dismissed. Is that it? In Guyana, it is.
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You are heartless if you do not want this man to pay for the crime that he committed.