On the occasion of International Youth Day on August 12, SASOD Guyana calls attention to the importance of safeguarding the rights of all young people in Guyana, and the Americas region, including their rights to life, bodily autonomy and safe working environments in every industry.
On July 11, 2024, in the early hours of the morning, Coil Bottle – a 27-year old transgender sex worker whose given name is Shawn Simon Hooper – was executed in downtown Georgetown. Currently, two of the alleged perpetrators have been charged and are before the courts. Despite this, there is said to be at least a third perpetrator allegedly involved in the killing who is yet to be arrested and charged, while the motive behind the shocking murder remains unclear.
It is vital that a full and comprehensive investigation is conducted by the Guyana Police Force, that the prosecution of this case is professional and sound, and that the judicial process is free from bias and prejudice. While there have been many documented cases of violence against young sexual and gender minorities in Guyana over the past decade, this is a rare case in which the alleged perpetrators have been clearly identified.
If justice is not properly administered in this case, this could motivate more bad actors to commit similar crimes against marginalised youth, including LGBTIQ+ youth and young sex workers, in Guyana. Justice must serve as a deterrent to prevent acts of targeted violence against marginalised youth and other vulnerable groups in Guyana.
SASOD Guyana also takes this opportunity to applaud the Organisation of American States (OAS) for the creation of the role of Commissioner for the Rights of Sex Workers and the appointment of Gloria Angélica Careaga Peréz on August 6, 2024. This groundbreaking move highlights the commitment of the OAS to protecting the rights of sex workers across the Americas region.
Gloria Careaga is a social psychologist, LGBTIQA+ activist and feminist advocate from Mexico. On her appointment, she emphasised that “sex work is a job that can be recognised as being as worthy as any other and this must be our task.” SASOD Guyana will engage Commissioner Peréz in her mandate to collect and report information to the situation of the rights of sex workers, and submit recommendations to the OAS Secretary General to address these findings.
