GEORGETOWN, Guyana. Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr Vindhya Persaud has urged every agency that deals with sexual violence to tighten its response so that victims get protection, support and access to justice without delay.
She was speaking on Wednesday as keynote speaker at a workshop on child sexual abuse hosted by the ministry’s Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit at the Guyana Police Force Training Centre. In the room were police officers, doctors, child protection and probation officers, lawyers, school counsellors and others who handle these cases.
Dr Persaud acknowledged progress but said sexual violence remains a serious problem. She disclosed that 209 rape cases were recorded in 2025, and 85 in the first six months of 2026. The country, she said, must keep driving those numbers down, with the aim of ending rape and child sexual abuse altogether.
The ministry wants improvement at every stage of the response, from reporting and investigation through medical examination, evidence collection and prosecution. The minister called for rape kits to be available in every region and for more medical staff to be trained to carry out examinations.
She also pointed to the support services that need strengthening: the child advocacy centres, the 24 hour 914 hotline, the iMatter app, and the Hope and Justice Centres. Participants were asked to identify the gaps, improve communication and work more closely across agencies.
Good laws and policies, Dr Persaud said, only protect children and survivors when every stakeholder responds together and cases are handled promptly.
By LRTVS NewsWatch, Channel 10. This report first aired on LRTVS NewsWatch.
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