By | Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News|
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — The Alliance for Change (AFC) has aggressively entered the growing public debate surrounding state accountability for sexual crimes, calling for the immediate withdrawal of the newly proposed Sexual Offences Amendment Bill and demanding the resignation of the Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud.
The political backlash intensified following the June 5, 2026, presentation of Bill Number 6 of 2026 in the National Assembly. The legislative draft sparked widespread public outrage across social media platforms after it was revealed that the proposed national registry of sexual crime perpetrators would be heavily restricted from general public access and scrutiny. Critics have openly questioned whether the framework was designed to shield offenders rather than safeguard vulnerable victims
Ayodele Roache, a prominent youth activist representing the AFC, issued a blistering critique of the legislation, targeting Minister Persaud’s execution of her portfolio.
“I believe that the minister probably did not read that bill before it was tabled,” Roache stated. “Because no right-thinking minister—especially a female that would table such a bill, especially a minister that is responsible for social protection [would do so].”
Roache argued that at a time when Guyana is grappling with alarming, documented rates of teenage pregnancy, statutory rape, and violent sexual assaults, the Ministry has chosen to advance a policy framework that prioritizes the concealment of convicted offenders. The activist raised several sharp questions regarding the administration’s motivations, demanding to know why the government is going to such extreme lengths to hide the registry from public view.
Furthermore, the AFC representative exposed severe logistical and structural flaws embedded within the text of the amendment bill.
“The bill proposes that convicted offenders report to a toshao in communities where there is no police presence,” Roache noted, referring to indigenous village leaders. “What makes the minister believe that offenders will willingly comply with such a requirement? Moreover, why in 2026 are there still communities without adequate police presence?”
While Roach conceded that a single amendment aimed at protecting the identities of minors who may have been offenders was acceptable, she rejected the remainder of the document. She characterized the Sexual Offences Amendment Bill 2026 as a direct “slap in the face” to thousands of women, men, and children who have survived sexual abuse across Guyana.
Pleading with lawmakers, Roache asserted that the legislation is entirely unworthy of the National Assembly and should be denied legislative support or passage in its current state. The AFC has formally called on Minister Persaud to immediately withdraw the bill, rectify the structural concerns raised by civil society, and tender her resignation over what the party considers a disqualifying lapse in executive judgment.
