Guyana: Police woman files report after attorney racially abused her

A policewoman in Guyana demanded a probe after an attorney allegedly used racist slurs and abused her. The policewoman is concerned with the Guyana Police Force (GPF), who has reportedly been identified as Shawnette Bollers.

She alleged that attorney-at-law Nirvan Singh, the son of former Chancellor of Judiciary Carl Singh, has verbally assaulted her using racist slurs at Cummings and Middle Street, Georgetown.

Bollers wrote a letter to guard duties at the Georgetown location where Nirvan lives with his father. Her lawyer Eusi Anderson, stated that on March 20, at around 22:13 hours, "In the dark of night, you unleashed an unprovoked, verbal tirade of racially charged insults to her saying, among other things, "monkey", "black monkey"; Black people have no purpose in life and "get out, get off of my property."

In the statement, the young attorney-at-law is accused of being noisy and abusive and of constantly invading the rank's personal space by approaching her within two inches of her face, causing saliva drops to touch her.

Nirvan was also accused of chasing the rank from his home and following her some distance away, further abusing her, spitting at and on her, and spouting horrible comments on the same night.

Nonetheless, Bollers allegedly fled the scene and reported the incident to her higher authorities, who, despite her protests, ordered her to return to the former chancellor home to resume her duties.

However, On March 21, the former chancellor was alleged to have apologized to the rank on behalf of Nirvan.

Anderson further stated that the lawyer's actions in their most polite description constitute diverse civil and criminal wrongs and that Boiler is hopeful that the Guyana Police Force would institute the necessary charges.

Meanwhile, the African Community Development Association (ACDA) condemned Nirvan's alleged actions.

The ACDA said, "We view spitting in the face of this African-Guyanese woman in 2022 Guyana as worse than similar actions of white slave makers to Africans. Attorney Nirvan Singh's conduct has no place in Guyanese society and must be rejected by all Guyanese, regardless of race or class." 

According to the organization, this incident is not exceptional but rather a symptom of a major and widening racial divide in the country.

"We condemn the leadership of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) for its complicity by its failure to act as required by the law of the land. Guyana is a society based on the rule of law, and no citizen regardless of status or political connection is above the law."

ACDA said it noted an apology from the older Singh, but the perpetrator remains unrepentant. Nirvan Singh is a conscious offender with no respect for decency and conduct befitting his profession as an officer of the court."

The ACDA is also requesting that the Guyana Bar Association take appropriate action against the Attorney for his alleged actions.

Additionally, the PNCR, in a statement on Friday, said that it is appalled by the incident in which police rank, Boller's, was the victim of a most vile and depraved racial attack by the attorney-at-law while she was on guard duties at his premises.

"The unprovoked attack involved an assault, repeated spitting, and a verbal tirade of racial insults. The racial insults hurled at Bollers do not bear repeating. But, understandably, the entire incident has her deeply traumatized," the statement noted.