As investigations continue into the death of a one-year-old toddler who died after ingesting carbon tablets, which were reportedly fed to him by his older brother, the Child Care and Protection Agency (CC&PA) has indicated that the substance was bought for the sole purpose of killing rats.
The village of La Grange, on the West Bank of Demerara, slumped into despair on Wednesday when villagers learnt of the incident. Initial reports were that the toddler, who was identified as Andre Keron Tappin, was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) after his mother observed he was vomiting continuously at their Lot 18 La Grange home. Tappin died while receiving treatment and all indications were that his nine-year-old brother had fed him the rat poison. However, the CC&PA discovered differently while conducting their inquiry.
Speaking with Guyana Times on Friday, Director of the CC&PA Ann Greene claimed that a detailed interview was conducted with the older brother, who
CC&PA Director Ann Greene
indicated that he purchased the rat poison at a known location in the community after rats were damaging his stepfather’s books.
“There is nothing that shows that he was killed by his brother… The investigation is going on and we have the child in care and the child is being able to give a good account. He bought the rat poison not to kill his brother, but to kill rats,” Greene told this publication.
According to the young man, his mother and stepfather were quarrelling over the presence of rats in their home and he thought it best to ask a friend at school for money to buy the poison.
“This child said on camera in the interview that his parents had an argument, the mother and stepfather about rats eating up the stepfather’s books or something. So this child went to school and get money from a friend, beg his friend for $100 and he went to a shop and bought the rat poison to kill the rats.”
Greene said the child recalled that he would have arrived home and placed the rat poison on a low table. He subsequently went to prepare tea and in his absence, the one-year-old child consumed the tablet.
“He came home and put it on a low table and then he went to make tea for him and his brother. The little one went to the table and got it and started to eat it. By time he notice and he looked, he child had eaten a greater part of the thing and he raised an alarm and woke up his mother and they took the child to the hospital,” Greene said.
The CC&PA Director posited that the child was “traumatised” after being blamed
The home which the family shared
for the death of his younger brother. However, she claimed that the individual who sold the poison is entirely responsible.
“This is so hard for this child. When we interviewed this child, this child was so traumatised and how they were blaming him for the child’s death. Anybody to be blamed is who would sell or give rat poison to a nine-year-old child. What sort of society do we live in?” Greene related. When this publication visited the area, some of the neighbours seemed to have not had much interaction with the family and one man said he had only heard of the incident after the toddler’s death. It was not clear what role the father of the nine-year-old played but reports stated that he informed the boy’s teachers that he would not attend school on Thursday.
While the child is under supervision at the Agency, his mother was detained at the Den Amstel Police Station as Police continues to probe the matter.
Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Superintendent Jairam Ramlakhan on Thursday confirmed reports that the young child was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital by his mother after she observed he was vomiting on Wednesday. Reports stated that the child would usually be left in the care of his nine-year-old brother on numerous occasions. Efforts to obtain an update from the Police on the case proved futile.
