Amerindian body calls for Soesdyke bar rape site to be shuttered

Last Updated on Sunday, 20 July 2025, 0:54 by Writer

As Guyanese police continue to probe the alleged rape of an Indigenous Amerindian woman, the Amerindian People’s Association (APA) on Saturday recommended that authorities shut down Raghoo’s Sports Bar, Soesdyke where the incident reportedly occurred.

“We call on the Government of Guyana to ensure that the bar where this crime occurred is shut down permanently, and we urge the Guyana Revenue Authority to immediately revoke all licenses held by the owner,” the APA said.  Police on Saturday said the bar was closed.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) said earlier Saturday that the bartender and other persons of interest were arrested, and that efforts were being made to contact other suspects and witnesses who were seen in the video.

The APA also wants authorities to punish patrons at the bar for both failing to render assistance while recording the incident. “Equally disturbing is the reprehensible behaviour of the bar’s patrons, who, instead of intervening and rendering assistance, chose to film this violent assault. Their actions constitute active participation in a violent crime, and we call for criminal charges to be brought against every individual who enabled or recorded this atrocity.”

The APA said the alleged rape of the 20-year-old woman was intolerable and so Raghoo’s Bar had no place in Guyana. “Allowing it to continue operations would be an insult to all women across the country,” the organisation said.

Police said that at about 11:20 on Friday night, Technical Advisor at the Amerindian Affairs Ministry, Laura George took the Amerindian woman – who lives on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway and who was seen in the viral video on social media – to the Timehri Police Station where an official report was made.

The GPF said in a statement that the woman told investigators that she was “drugged and raped by three males” at Raghoo’s Sports Bar located at Soesdyke.

Saying it was “outraged and deeply shaken by the horrific video” of the incident that was circulating on social media which depicts the “brutal rape” of the woman inside a public bar, the APA credited the relevant authorities with action taken. “The APA acknowledges the immediate response by the Guyana Police Force, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, and we commend their swift action.”

The APA demanded that the perpetrators of that “abhorrent crime”, which amounts to a “blatant violation of human dignity,” face the maximum punishment available by law without any delay or leniency. “Justice must be swift, uncompromising, and complete.”