British lends more support to ‘Stamp it Out’ with IT system

Stabroek News – May 4, 2008

British High Commissioner Fraser Wheeler said his country remains supportive of the Guyana government in its bid to “implement a comprehensive policy framework to tackle crime and security in Guyana once and for all.”

He underscored this support at the handing over of an online communication system to the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security. The communication system is designed to help build capacity in the ‘Stamp it Out’ campaign to stop violence against women.

This system falls under a three-phase programme, a press release from the British High Commission stated. The first was the installation of online communication within the ministry’s main office; and the second being installed currently caters for the inclusion of subsidiary offices around Georgetown. The third phase will be to provide online links to the ministry’s offices in the other administrative regions.  

Man tricked woman seeking US visa with promise of marriage

- court hears
Stabroek News – April 29, 2008

A man was placed on a total of $195,000 bail yesterday when he appeared on charges of forgery in a US visa scam before Magistrate Melissa Robertson-Ogle in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.

Carlton Jackman, 57, allegedly took $100,000 from Maureen Persaud telling her that he would provide her with a US visa. The woman said she was supposed to marry Jackman to get to the United States but he tricked her instead.

He was slapped with charges of intent to defraud, uttering a forged document, that is a letter purported to be from the US Embassy Visa Section, and uttering the forged letter to Persaud to get the money from her.

The Lyng Street, Charlestown man pleaded not guilty and was placed on $65,000 bail for each charge. He will return to court on May 19.

Domestic violence high on Police priorities – Asst. Comm. Brummell

Kaieteur News – April 28, 2008

Commander of the Police East Coast Demerara Division, Assistant Commissioner Leroy Brummell, says that domestic violence is very high on the list of priorities for the Police under his command. The senior Police officer was responding to queries from this newspaper about the failure to apprehend an Enmore man who eventually slit his reputed wife’s throat after years of abusing her.

According to Assistant Commissioner Brummell, a number of ranks underwent training to deal professionally with the subject, and refresher courses are constantly being undertaken.

Since killing Shaneeza Khan, last Sunday at their Grass Field, Enmore home, the suspect remains on the run despite several attempts by the Police to arrest him.

In an invited comment, Brummell told Kaieteur News that the Police did receive several reports of abuse from Khan and her mother, and action was taken on each occasion.  

Sexual offences dominate consultation with religious bodies

Kaieteur News – April 24, 2008

While some police officers do an excellent job at assisting rape victims, there are others that do ‘very crappy’ work, says Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Priya Manickchand.

The Minister was at the time speaking with religious leaders from different organisations, who turned out in their numbers yesterday to be part of the ‘Stamp It Out’ consultation hosted at the Ethnic Relations Commission.

She says that some police officers ask victims all sorts of ‘foolish’ questions, intimidating them even as they are making their report.

The Minister says that there are deficiencies with both the police and judicial systems when it comes to dealing with issues of rape.  

Domestic violence seems to have reached epidemic proportions

Stabroek News – April 23, 2008

Dear Editor,

It’s quite frightening when one gets the impression that the death of a mother at the hands of her abusive husband is treated as “just another bit of news”.

What was telling about the media reports was that Shaneiza Khan’s eventual demise “came as no surprise”. That response says a whole lot on so many levels, but the most telling of all is the “well, wuh we gon do about that, life don hard already” mentality. Is the sanctity of life no longer precious? My deepest sympathy to the Khan family and the countless others who have suffered at the hands of their abusers.

Reports state that the police were called on several occasions, all to no avail and that seems to be the typical and not an isolated police response.

Everyone has an opinion about the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of our law enforcers when it comes to crime prevention or detection, but the fact of the matter is that the police force’s resources are stretched to capacity.  

Enmore murder suspect still at large

Stabroek News – April 22, 2008

Police are still to locate the suspect in the murder of 22-year-old Foulis, East Coast Demerara (ECD) resident, Shaneiza Khan.

Khan was discovered dead on Sunday in the Enmore, ECD home that she once shared with her reputed husband of four years, who has not been seen since.  A post-mortem examination performed on her body yesterday found that she died as a result of her throat being slit. She was also stabbed under the breast.

Police are still hunting for her husband.

Yesterday Khan’s mother, Bibi Nazmoon Hamid told Stabroek News that documents belonging to her daughter, including her passport, were missing.