Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr. Vindhya Persaud has confirmed that the bar where a woman was assaulted has been shut down and several persons have been arrested.
The minister, in a statement, described the incident as very disturbing.
“It was most reprehensible to see persons filming the incident rather than helping this woman, and the DJ encouraging the perpetrator to perform lewd acts on the victim,” she said, adding that “All necessary support will be provided to the young woman by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security. I urge persons not to share the video as this is a further violation of the victim.”
The minister also called on citizens to be public-spirited and not just record these things on their phones, but offer help and report these serious incidents.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, in a statement, said it has launched an investigation into the assault.
The ministry noted that the Guyana Police Force, in collaboration with the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, is leading the probe.
Authorities have also urged the public not to share the videos, citing respect for the victim and the integrity of the investigation. The police are currently working to identify and locate the woman involved.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the 4B Divisional Headquarters at Diamond, East Bank Demerara, or the nearest police station.
Meanwhile, the University of Guyana Indigenous Students’ Society (UGISS) has also condemned the incident, which it said appears to involve a young Indigenous woman being assaulted in a public bar, while onlookers cheered and recorded the incident—with encouragement from a disc jockey.
UGISS criticised not only the assailants but also those who enabled the assault and continue to circulate the footage. The group called on the public to stop sharing the video and emphasised the need for accountability and greater protection for vulnerable groups, especially Indigenous women.
UGISS said it stands in solidarity with the victim and all survivors of sexual violence and reiterated its call for justice and the creation of safer communities.
