Man commits suicide after being accused of raping his daughter

Berbice: A 13-year-old girl who was allegedly raped by her father is currently being pressured by her family members to retract statements that her now deceased parent had done the crime.
The teenager who hails from Corriverton, Berbice said her father, who drank a poisonous substance recently and died, raped her on more than one occasion last year.
A report was made to the Welfare Department of the Human Services Ministry and an investigation was conducted. According to reports, the child’s parents were separated and the child would periodically travel to her father’s home to collect money from him to purchase items.
When contacted, the mother of the child denied that her daughter was raped by her father, but acknowledged that the man drank poison and died.
“Not true… the information is wrong information,” the woman said, “he did drink poison but not for that.” However, according to a relative the child confessed to welfare officers that she was raped by her father on more than one occasion. During that visit, in the mother’s presence the child said she was not raped, but when interrogated further by officials privately, the child recounted the ordeals.
The teenager had initially refused to go to the hospital to obtain a medical examination but was persuaded to do so. The matter has since been referred to the Child Services and Protection Office.