Keron Daniels, who was remanded to prison last Tuesday for allegedly throwing the corrosive substance on 25-year-old Jilicia Leitch and Nirmala Sukraj, leaving Leitch visually impaired, was on Wednesday granted bail in the sum of $500,000, when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Faith McGusty.

Livid by the decision, the police in statement said: “In the wake of an over-increasing attack against women, the Guyana Police Force wishes to express its grave disappointment in the granting of bail by a magistrate from the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court to Keron Daniels, who was charged with Throwing Corrosive Fluid with Intent, committed on Jilicia Leitch and Nirmala Sukraj.” According to the police: “It is apt to note that the accused and the victim were in a relationship that had a history of conflict. The woman herself pleaded from her hospital bed that she wanted justice. Despite the heavy prevalence of violence against women in Guyana, magistrates continue to omit to take this crucial factor into account in exercising their discretion in respect to the granting of bail. The matter is further compounded by the high likelihood of these types of offences being repeated, especially when the alleged offender continues to have ready access to the victim.”

Police concluded that it pledged to continue to make every possible effort in reducing, if not wholly eradicating, acts of violence being committed against the women During last Tuesday’s hearing, the prosecution had claimed to have video evidence linking Daniels to the crime, asserting that CCTV footage placed him as the driver of the getaway vehicle on September 3. However, Daniels’ attorneys, Ronald Daniels and Ronald Bostwick, argued that the footage clearly shows the attacker was masked and therefore could not be identified. They pointed out that police themselves had issued a public appeal for help identifying the masked individual, suggesting the evidence was inconclusive. As such, Magistrate McGusty had ordered Daniels be remanded until the CCTV footage could be reviewed.  (Kaieteur News)