Lawrence calls for thorough investigation into Halley’s assault allegation

…says failing to treat such crimes seriously empower perpetrators

Chair of the People’s National Congress (PNC), Volda Lawrence has issued a statement calling on the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to conduct a full investigation into the alleged physical assault of Opposition MP Tabitha Sarabo-Halley by Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy, and for McCoy to be suspended from Parliament pending the investigation outcome.

“It is apparent that Kwame McCoy, a known abuser and aggressor of the PPP, has returned to his old ways. Who would have thought that a Minister of Government, in the Honoured Halls of Parliament, would physically assault his colleague MP,” Lawrence said on Wednesday evening.

“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the acts of assault, violence and disrespect, experienced by Mrs Tabitha Sarabo-Halley at the hands of Kwame McCoy and by extension the PPP; because of the Party’s failure to condemn the actions of their MP and/or call for a full investigation in the matter.”

Indeed, several Ministers of Government have come to McCoy’s defence, including Prime Minister Mark Phillips who initially stated that McCoy “was not even near to her to warrant any physical assault”. McCoy later stated that he was some 4 feet away from Sarabo-Halley while Sarabo-Halley said that he was less than a foot away from her trying to push his phone in her face to record her, moments after he verbally assaulted Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield.

“Physical abuse/assault is a serious crime and should be treated as such. Many of us fail to realise that by treating everything as a joke (especially matters of this nature), we embolden the perpetrator to commit such acts because they (the perpetrator) realise that no one may take the victim seriously,” Lawerence said.

She added: “I call on the Guyana Police Force to conduct a full investigation in the matter and I also call on the Parliament to suspend Mr McCoy pending the outcome of the investigation.
We must demonstrate to the people of Guyana, that violence against our women will not be tolerated. Mrs. Sarabo-Halley is human, she’s a wife, she’s a mother, she’s a daughter, she’s a sister. Put yourself in her shoes and that of her family, would you accept the treatment experienced by her; in the workplace?”

The PNC is not the only political party to have called for McCoy to be suspended from Parliament and further dealt with by the law. The Working People’s Alliance (WPA) said earlier on Wednesday that it is abhorred that at a time when violence against women is high, a Minister of Government would have allegedly physically assaulted a woman.

Calling for his suspension from Parliament, the party said that McCoy has a history of assaulting political foes but this should be the last time that he lays his hand on another citizen.

In 2017, according to the Stabroek News, McCoy was found guilty of assaulting rights activist Mark Benschop in March 2011, and he was ordered to pay a fine of $20,000. McCoy was charged with assault, stealing a laptop and damaging a vehicle that belonged to Benschop, on March 5, 2011, at Diamond, East Bank Demerara.

Two other charges against McCoy, for alleged damage to property and simple larceny, were dismissed by city Magistrate Annette Singh.

McCoy was called to lead his defence to the assault charge and told the court that he never touched Benschop. However, Magistrate Singh, in handing down her sentence, told him that she believed the evidence that was presented to her by Benschop.

Before then, in 2012, McCoy was found guilty of committing an assault for gun-butting a man after a row over elections campaign posters. McCoy was found guilty of assaulting and using threatening language on Clifton Stewart, for which he was fined a total of $70,000.