– Minister Persaud; Director Gouveia Warns of Legal Consequences for Failing to Report Abuse
– Urge Greater Community Vigilance
In a recent visit to Region Two on the Essequibo Coast, Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud, engaged residents of the Lima Sands community and delivered a strong message on child protection and the legal duty to report cases of child abuse and statutory rape.
Noting that the issue is both a moral and national imperative, the minister highlighted the government’s unequivocal stance on safeguarding children, stressing the illegality and profound harm of relationships between adults and minors.
She also challenged residents to move beyond passive awareness, urging them to accept personal and collective responsibility in confronting abuse wherever it occurs.
Noting that the goal is to end the culture of hiding these issues, which too often allows abuse to continue, Minister Persaud further emphasised that child abuse and statutory rape are serious criminal offences.
She also warned that adults who knowingly fail to report such acts can and will be held accountable under the law.
“The law is the law,” the minister said. “The law says if you’re an elder in the community, you’re an elder anywhere; you’re the parents, you’re the family, but you’re an adult, and you know about these things, and if you don’t report it, you could be locked up.”
According to Minister Persaud, responsibility extends beyond perpetrators to include parents, guardians, and community members who knowingly allow such acts to occur without intervention.
She reemphasised that the law makes provisions for action against those who remain silent despite being aware of these situations.
“Child abuse, statutory rape – those are illegal acts; so, once you know, you have a duty to report it. The parents can get charged.
So, if your child is living with a big man, they are not in your home, so you know, and you know you can be charged,” she added.
In addition, the minister highlighted that once reports are made, the responsibility shifts to the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the courts to ensure that perpetrators face the full force of the law.
She also emphasised that strong action is being taken against guardians who are complicit or fail to report such abuse, reinforcing the government’s zero-tolerance approach.
Meanwhile, the Director of the Childcare and Protection Agency, Levine Gouveia, joined Minister Persaud at Lima Sands and reinforced the importance of community involvement in safeguarding vulnerable children.
In her address on teenage pregnancy and strengthening child protection, Ms Gouveia made a direct appeal, urging all parents and members of the community to work closely with the ministry and the agency.
She also highlighted various programmes designed to support children and at-risk youths.
According to her, these initiatives are aimed at early intervention and prevention, ensuring that young people are guided and supported before they become victims of harmful circumstances.
The director further stated that while systems and programmes are in place, meaningful change depends on active community participation and vigilance.
Ms Gouveia said, “Members of the Lima Sands community work with the Ministry of Human Services and work with the Child Care Protection Agency.
We have the family enhancement services; you have us from the childcare protection.
We have our streetlight project; we have our Every Child Safe campaign; we have our parenting programme; we have our teen pregnancy prevention programme.
We have these programmes, where we can work with young people so that we can save them from becoming teenage mothers and give them a better life.
But we can’t do it alone. So, I’m depending on this community to work with me.”
The director appealed to community residents to collaborate with her and the ministry, to raise awareness, and to serve as the eyes and ears for one another, especially for the young people in their communities.
“Child protection is everybody’s business,” Ms Gouveia stated, emphasising that it begins long before any incident occurs.
