Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr Vindhya Persaud has called for faster investigations, improved evidence collection and greater accountability among agencies handling reports of child sexual abuse and rape.
Persaud made the call yesterday while addressing the opening of a three-day Child Sexual Abuse Workshop organised by the ministry’s Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit at the Guyana Police Force Training Centre.
The workshop brings together police officers, medical practitioners, child protection and probation officers, lawyers, school counsellors and other professionals involved in responding to sexual violence.
“Child sexual abuse is a crime. It has always been a crime,” Persaud said, while maintaining that weaknesses in the system must be addressed if victims are to be protected and perpetrators prosecuted.
She said 209 rape cases were recorded during 2025, while 85 were reported between January and June of this year. Persaud described the figures as showing a reduction, although they cover different reporting periods.
“It is my fervent wish that we continue to see not only the reduction, but the complete eradication of rape cases in Guyana,” she said.
The minister said improvements were required at every stage, including the reporting and investigation of allegations, medical examinations, evidence collection and prosecution.
“We have to fix the weak links in the chain. And I say it unapologetically because we cannot be good unless everybody is doing their job to the best of their abilities,” she stated.
Persaud called for rape kits to be readily available in every region and for more medical personnel to be trained to conduct examinations. She also urged that case reports be completed clearly and without delay.
“There should be no delay in dealing with child matters when it relates to abuse. None,” she said.
According to the minister, support systems have been expanded through Child Advocacy Centres in every region, the 24-hour 914 hotline, the iMatter mobile application and Hope and Justice Centres, which provide various services to survivors.
Persaud urged participants to use the workshop to identify gaps in the existing response system, improve communication among agencies and develop a more coordinated approach to sexual violence cases.
“We can have the best legislation and the best policy, but if we do not have that collective, collaborative, robust approach to cases of child sexual abuse, we will continue to see the numbers climb,” she said.
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