Human rights centre condemns attack on V’zuelan teen

The Caribbean Centre for Human Rights (CCHR) has condemned the recent assault on a Venezuelan teenager.

It also said it is also disturbed by some of the responses which emerged because of the assault.

The CCHR said some of the commentary seemed to suggest that the teen might have been to blame by putting herself in a situation that caused her to be assaulted.

“This is unacceptable. Victim blaming removes the absolute responsibility from the perpetrator who is fully to blame for their actions.

“At no time should a victim of gender-based violence (GBV) be blamed for such acts against them.

“Violence against women and girls is a grave violation of human rights and should never be tolerated.

“It has deep consequences for society as a whole as it limits the participation of women in society due to the fear and insecurity that these acts engender.”

The teenager was abducted, beaten, stabbed and raped on Tuesday after taking a taxi on her way to sell empanadas.

A policeman was later arrested in connection with the attack.

The centre pointed out that most Venezuelans in TT are already in a deeply vulnerable situation.

“They have been forced to flee a humanitarian crisis in their homeland. This has meant the disruption of their lives and livelihoods and the loss of their supportive community networks.

“They need to be protected.”

The CCHR commended the police on their quick action in identifying the alleged suspects and calls on the government for swift justice for the attack on the young woman.