Police to Appeal Acquittal of Paul Slowe in Sexual Assault Case

By Mark DaCosta- Senior Police Legal Advisor Attorney Mandel Moore has confirmed that the police intend to appeal the acquittal of former Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Slowe, signalling that the high-profile matter is far from over. The decision to challenge the ruling ensures that legal proceedings surrounding the case will continue, prolonging national debate over both the facts of the case and its broader political implications.

On February 20, Magistrate Fabayo Azore acquitted Slowe of three counts of sexual assault, ruling that the prosecution failed to meet the required legal threshold for conviction. In delivering her decision, she stated that the evidence presented by the prosecution and the defence carried equal weight. “The law is clear that when this is the case, the benefit of the doubt must go to the accused,” she said, reinforcing the foundational principle that guilt must be established beyond a reasonable doubt.

Slowe, who served as Chairman of the Police Service Commission from 2018 to 2021, had faced allegations stemming from incidents in 2019 involving claims that he inappropriately touched a female police officer during his tenure. The case placed professional conduct and accountability within law enforcement institutions under public scrutiny.

The prosecution’s burden in criminal matters is substantial. In sexual assault cases particularly, courts must carefully assess issues of consent, weighing subjective accounts alongside objective evidence. The legal threshold represents the minimum evidentiary standard required to secure a conviction. Where that standard is not satisfied, as Magistrate Azore determined in this instance, the accused must be acquitted. Under Guyanese law, as in other internationally recognised justice systems, the prosecution bears the onus of proof, and an accused person is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Despite the acquittal, Slowe’s legal challenges have extended beyond the sexual assault allegations. He has also faced fraud charges, which were similarly dismissed in court. These developments have fuelled claims among his supporters that the charges form part of a broader pattern of politically motivated actions.

Slowe has been an outspoken critic of the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP), particularly following the 2020 change of government. He publicly objected to what he described as politically driven promotions within the police force, arguing that loyalty rather than merit influenced certain decisions. His critics reject assertions of political targeting, but the political context has nonetheless shaped public discourse surrounding the case.

Represented by attorneys Dawn Cush, Nigel Hughes, and Dexter Todd, Slowe has maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings. His legal team argued that the evidence presented by the prosecution failed to substantiate the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.

With the police now preparing to appeal, the matter appears set to remain before the courts. The outcome of that appeal will not only determine the next chapter in Slowe’s legal battle but may also further test public confidence in the independence and integrity of the judicial system.