Essequibo teen to spend 2 years at NOC for wandering

A 14-year-old teen of Queenstown Village, Essequibo Coast, was on Tuesday charged for wandering and ordered to spend two years at the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) by Magistrate Sunil Scarce, when she appeared at the Anna Regina Magistrate’s Court. The matter was tried in camera.

The court was told the defendant during the month of December 2015, at Queenstown, Essequibo Coast, being under the age of 17, was found wondering. She had been missing from her grandmother’s home for some four months and refused to say where she was or who she was with when she appeared in court.

The grandmother and her father were present in court. The father agreed to have the teen spend two years at NOC; however, the grandmother was not in favour. After the probation report was presented to Magistrate Scarce, the teen was sent to NOC where she was told to further her studies. The court also heard that out of 55 school sessions, the juvenile only 34 attended.

It was also reported that prior to her leaving home for the past four months, she would pretend that she is going to school by dressing in her uniform but her school attendance record showed that she was absent on numerous occasions.