– hundreds gathered to witness a farewell swathed in pink
Eleven-year-old Adriana Younge was laid to rest on Sunday during a solemn, well-attended funeral service, following weeks of unrest and disquiet.
Her funeral began with a viewing at Sandy’s Funeral Home on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD) and continued at the Vergenoegen tarmac, where hundreds gathered. Mourners were dressed in red and lined the streets and service grounds to pay their final respects.
Adriana Younge
Adriana’s body was placed in a small pink casket, dressed in a pink gown with a large bow at the front. A silver crown rested on her head. Floral arrangements, balloons, and framed photographs were set around the venue, as family members, schoolmates, and community members gathered in tearful tribute.
From the tarmac, her body was taken to the Vergenoegen Cemetery, where the casket was lowered into the ground. The burial proceeded peacefully, in keeping with the family’s request for a dignified farewell.
Adriana was found dead in the swimming pool of the Double Day Hotel in Tuschen on April 24. Her death sparked national outrage, with many questioning the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The first post-mortem was conducted in Guyana on 28 April by three international pathologists — one of whom was selected by the family — Dr Glenn Rudner (United States), Dr Shubhakar Karra Paul (Barbados), and Dr Gary Collins (United States). The doctors unanimously determined that the cause of death was drowning. No evidence of physical violence or sexual assault was found.
Despite the findings, protests erupted across parts of the country. Demonstrations in Georgetown and along the WCD escalated into violent clashes. Roads were blocked, tear gas was deployed, buildings were damaged, and at least two people were reported dead. The Government imposed a nationwide curfew to restore order. In the days that followed, Adriana’s family arranged for a second autopsy to be conducted in the US, Dr Carol Terry, the Chief Medical Examiner for Gwinnett County, Georgia, reviewed the case.
Her report confirmed there was no evidence of trauma or sexual assault and noted that Adriana’s lungs showed signs consistent with drowning.
With both autopsy reports supporting the original cause of death and no further delay from the family, Adriana was finally laid to rest nearly two months after her passing. Her death sparked one of the most emotionally charged periods in recent memory, but Sunday’s service was a moment of reflection and closure. Adriana is remembered by her family as a joyful, kind-hearted child who loved to dance and play with her cousins. As the sun set over Vergenoegen, her family and supporters stood in quiet remembrance, with the hope of bringing a painful chapter to a close.
