The Women’s Advisory Committee (WAC) of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) issues this statement with deep outrage and profound concern regarding the grave allegations of rape, systemic harassment, and gun-related threats leveled against Deputy Commissioner of Police and Head of the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU), Fizal Karimbaksh, by a female Police Inspector.
The details emerging from the formal police report—alleging multiple instances of forced sexual relations, explicit threats to life involving a firearm, and abuse of power occurring directly within the Guyana Police Force Headquarters is tragic and sad at the same time because those entrusted to protect are now called into question.
The allegations as described have to be traumatic to the female rank and to her family. All are equal before the law and the snail crawl in delivery justice for this young woman appears to be a strategic display of disregard for her cries for impartiality. It speaks of an egregious violation of human rights, workplace safety, and the institutional integrity of our nation’s law enforcement apparatus.
As a committee dedicated to protecting the rights, safety, and dignity of women in the public sector, the WAC condemns the unacceptable reality that Mr. Karimbaksh remains active on duty while under investigation for heinous crimes. Leaving an accused perpetrator of high-ranking power in active control of his office creates an environment ripe for witness intimidation, systemic bullying, and the tampering of crucial evidence.
The WAC firmly declares that the state’s current handling of this matter directly undermines the Decent Work Agenda and violates ILO Convention 190 (Violence and Harassment Convention), which Guyana is obligated to uphold to ensure a world of work free from violence, abuse, and gender-based predation.
In light of these distressing developments, the Women’s Advisory Committee demands immediate accountability through the following actions:
Immediate Administrative Leave: We demand that Deputy Commissioner Fizal Karimbaksh be placed on administrative leave immediately to preserve the integrity of the inquiry and protect the survivor from further institutional trauma or tampering.
·Whistleblower Protections: We demand comprehensive psycho-social, legal, and professional protection for the female Police Inspector and any witnesses who come forward, ensuring they do not face workplace retaliation or victimization.
It is a stain on our public institutions that those months have elapsed before this female officer’s cries for justice were formally acknowledged. We stand in absolute solidarity with the survivor and all women in uniform. The culture of silence, protectionism, and institutional complicity surrounding powerful perpetrators must end today.
