Tamùkke Feminists finds it deeply disturbing that serious allegations of rape and death threats made by a serving female officer against Deputy Commissioner of Police and Head of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Fazil Karimbaksh are being met with silence and non-action by the Guyana Police Force and the state.
We strongly denounce this as both silence and inaction embolden perpetrators of such acts. A woman has come forward at great personal risk, and the institutions charged with protecting the public, including her, have offered no public word, no assurance, and no visible action. That silence is not neutrality! It sends a message to the survivor, to every woman in the Force, and to every woman in Guyana: that power will be protected first.
Tamùkke Feminists reiterate that silence and inaction emboldens perpetrators. When those accused of sexual violence remain in positions of authority, untouched and unquestioned, it signals that abuse carries no consequence. It deters survivors from reporting and erodes public trust in the very system meant to deliver justice.
Tamùkke calls for:
- An immediate independent investigation which is free from the influence of the Guyana Police Force’s chain of command.
- Mr. Karimbaksh MUST be sent on administrative leave pending the outcome. This ensures that he holds no authority over the complainant, witnesses, or the investigation.
- Urgent protective measures for the survivor including guarantees of her physical safety given the reported threats against her life, and protection from retaliation, reassignment or intimidation within the Force.
- Immediate access to confidential, trauma-informed psychosocial support for the survivor, provided independently of the Police Force.
- A clear public statement from the Guyana Police Force and the Government on the steps being taken.
Guyana’s commitment to ending gender-based violence will be measured by how it responds when the accused is among the powerful.
We stand with the survivor and we will be watching !
