Region One education officials probe strip-search of female students

Regional educational officials in Region One are investigating an incident involving female students of the Santa Rosa Secondary School in the Moruca Sub-region, being strip-searched over accusations of stolen money in the presence of male police officers.

Regional Executive Officer (REO), Region One, Leslie Wilburg, confirmed that he had received a report of the incident, and that a formal complaint had been lodged yesterday afternoon.

This newspaper was informed that the incident first came to light on Friday after a 14-year-old student of the school related what had had transpired to a resident in the area.

According to what the resident was told, the incident reportedly occurred last Tuesday evening when female students who are accommodated in the school’s dormitory were stripped searched following allegations by the ‘dorm’s mother’ that the sum of $55, 0000 had gone missing from the room which she occupies.

Stabroek News was told that while the woman would usually lock the door with a key, on that day she forgot the key which was left hanging on a wall at the dorm. When she realized it had been forgotten, the woman returned and found the key hanging exactly where she had left it.

However, a later search of the room led her to discover that money had gone missing.

This prompted her to make a report to the school’s welfare officer who then contacted the police at the Acquero Police Station.

This newspaper was further informed that it was a directive from the police at the station that led to sixty-five female students of the school being stripped and searched in the presence of two male officers, the dorm’s mother and the welfare officer in a “private office” at the school.

But while the search did not unearth the missing money, the female students were left to face the taunts of some male students of the school who allegedly managed to witness the incident as well.

When speaking with the resident, the 14-year-old had explained that the students who originate from far-flung areas are not in constant contact with their parents since communication usually goes through the dorm’s mother, and consequently they did not know with whom to raise the issue.

Wilburg described the incident as a “greatly inappropriate act,” and said that Regional Education Officials were investigating the reports.

Attempts to contact the Regional Education Officer, Nigel Richards, for a comment proved futile.