Child rights activist and Commissioner Nicole Cole is issuing a scathing rejection of government plans to place Guyana’s long-awaited Sexual Offenders Registry under the sole custody of the Commissioner of Police. Citing a “decade-long delay” and a breakdown in public confidence in law enforcement, Cole is championing the “Brazil Model”, a system where the judiciary, rather than the police, maintains oversight of offender data to ensure transparency and accountability.
The controversy centers on the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, which Attorney General Anil Nandlall SC indicated is nearing completion. Speaking on a podcast Starting Point, Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, outlined the government’s vision for the registry’s operation. “Once the bill is enacted and Parliament’s passed, then that registry will come into effect,” Minister Persaud stated. “It will be in the custody of the police commissioner. It will be utilized to advise persons in their communities of who is in their community that could pose danger to them or their children.”
Regarding public access, the Minister clarified that the registry would not be an open document. Instead, the draft speaks to access being provided via a written request to the Commissioner. “Let’s say somebody turned up in your community. You have your suspicions. You might be feeling unsafe. You can write to us… it is something that is within that construct,” she explained.
Cole, who has campaigned publicly for the registry since 2014, argues this structure is fundamentally flawed. “I support the Brazil Model since it ensures transparency and accountability,” Cole stated. “In Brazil, the Judiciary, supported by the National Council of Justice, oversees the monitoring. While police handle investigations, judicial bodies maintain the databases. It is the best international practice.”
Cole’s opposition to police control is rooted in specific grievances regarding past law enforcement conduct. She pointed directly to the handling of the Adriana Younge case in Region 3, alleging that the public was misled by senior officers while a victim was in active danger.
“We cannot forget that [law enforcement] misled the public about Adrianna, saying she left the hotel when she was there being harmed,” Cole said. “That is violating Articles 6 and 19 of the UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child). I am not supporting the Commissioner of Police having sole access. Hell no!”
Her call for a registry has gained renewed urgency following harrowing allegations of sexual abuse at the New Opportunity Corps (NOC). Cole has called for a “total shutdown” and a “sanitation” of the system, insisting that anyone working with children must undergo rigorous background checks. “You can’t have people who may have been afoul of the law and then put them with children,” she said, emphasizing that social workers, not just administrators, should lead such programs.
While the registry is a focal point, sections of the media formerly reported that legal stakeholders are also raised alarms over other proposed amendments to the 2010 Sexual Offences Act. Specifically, changes to Section 72A, which governs the admissibility of complaints, have been criticized for potentially disregarding the trauma-induced delays survivors face when reporting abuse.
Advocacy groups like Help & Shelter and Red Thread have urged the government to strengthen penalties for non-compliance and maintain existing safeguards that prevent juries from misinterpreting reporting delays.
Cole noted that while the United Kingdom utilizes a police-led database known as ViSOR, that system is supported by specialized Public Protection Units (PPU) and the National Crime Agency (NCA).
“A question to ask the Minister is whether there will be Public Protection Units supported by our Supreme Court, because we don’t have a National Crime Agency,” Cole remarked.
“The children should be at the centre of everything,” she concluded. “People-centered development is what is lacking.”
