Suspects arrested for allegedly raping, drugging Berbice teens claim innocence

Last Updated on Sunday, 5 November 2017, 20:45 by Denis Chabrol

Commander of the Guyana Police Force’s Berbice Division, Lyndon Alves has confirmed that the men wanted in connection with the rape and drugging of two Berbice teens on Tuesday last were arrested.

Commander Alves disclosed to Demerara Waves Online that both men were arrested in the Upper Corentyne area and are being vigorously questioned by police as investigations continue.

However a police source close to the investigations revealed that the men are claiming they are innocent of any wrongdoing since they only offered assistance to the girls who were allegedly discovered in a drunken state.

The sources related to this publication that the girls allegedly took a bottle of vodka to school and was caught by a teacher and sent home with letters to return with their parents. But it was learnt that the girls instead of heading home, changed into casual clothing and ventured to a bar where they imbibed more. The teens then left in a drunken state and subsequently saw the men whom police arrested.

These men are claiming that they did not harm the girls rather the girls requested that they be taken to one of their homes to ‘freshen up’. While there, one of the girls fell asleep. They then left for home early Wednesday morning.

The story came to light after a parent of one of girls aged 14-years made a report to the police after she and her friend failed to return home after school on Tuesday. It was reported that the girls were sent home from school after an altercation and were asked to return with their parents.

Allegedly on their way home, they were offered assistance by two men who offered them alcohol, drugged them and subsequently took them to an undisclosed location and raped them.

The matter was reported to the No. 51 Police Station and the teenagers were medically examined.

According to the source, the medical examination reportedly revealed that both teens were sexually active but did not have sexual intercourse for 24 hours before the examination.