WGEC demands accountability from enforcement agencies

In light of recent cases where women have violently lost their lives, the Women and Gender Equality Commission (WGEC) has made calls for accountability from enforcement agencies.
“Today, like many Guyanese especially mothers, fathers and young people, we share the sorrow of the family of Adrianna Younge, a pre-teen who lost her life under suspicious and the most troubling of circumstances during what was supposed to be a fun-filled day out with her family. The accusations and clear misdirection by officers of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) are most worthy of an independent inquiry,” it said in a statement on Friday.

The Commission noted that it is only too aware of the honouring in the breach by the GPF, in incidents involving violence against women and girls.
As yesterday also brought the news of the horrific slaughter of the DeCruz women, which also revealed a disconnect between reports and appropriate actions by enforcement agencies, leading to a tragic end for this family, the statement added.
The WGEC stressed that these deaths, especially that of a child, are chilling in every way, and have shocked the communities and the nation as a whole.
On this point the WGEC asked, “What is to be done to address these profound failures of law enforcement?”
Moreover, the commission will undertake to increase their vigilance, advocacy and voices to engage the many factors that underpin the lack of confidence in those who have sworn to serve and protect us all.
The WGEC calls on the administration to continue to make every effort to bring justice to Adriana Younge so those who are directly responsible, and or who aided and abetted them in the killing of this child, are brought to justice.
On Wednesday, Adrianna had accompanied her grandmother and other relatives to the poolside at the Double Day Hotel. She was later reported missing sometime between 13:10h and 14:00h.
Her grandmother, Carol Xavier, told investigators that around 13:10h, she gave Adrianna money to purchase a wristband for access to the pool. Shortly after, Adrianna entered the pool with her siblings. However, when her grandmother later called for the children to come out of the water, she realised that Adrianna was missing.
A search was launched by the family in the pool and around the hotel but without success.
According to family members, the hotel’s owners and workers refused to give them access to security footage to locate the girl.
The matter was then reported to the Tuschen Police Station and investigators visited the hotel at about 15:30h.
“Upon arrival at the scene, the police made further search in and around the hotel, including rooms, store room, yard, and roof, but they came up empty-handed,” a statement from the GPF’s Corporate Communications Unit, which was issued at 23:59h on Wednesday, detailed.
It went on to note that several cameras were seen attached to the building. However, when the ranks asked to view the same, the Manager indicated that they are not in working order.
Initially, the GPF had said that the ranks from Regional Division #3 were able to review footage of the hotel, which showed that “…Adrianna entered a Red and Black Raum motorcar, bearing registration number PSS 4684, which drove off in an eastern direction heading towards Vreed-en-Hoop.”
However, Adrianna’s family members were adamant that the girl was still at the hotel.
After being unable to check security cameras from the hotel, family members reviewed footage from a neighbour’s security camera which showed no signs that the girl left the establishment. She was only seen entering the premises with her relatives.
With the persistence of the girl’s family, a search was conducted around midnight on Wednesday at the hotel including the pool area but there were no signs of her. Relatives stayed outside the hotel overnight, adamant that the girl never left the hotel, and demanded a proper search of the premises.
On Thursday morning, another search was conducted by the police and a few family members but there was still no sign of the young girl including at the poolside.
Family members and concerned citizens then started to protest outside of the hotel, burning tyres and demanding a better investigation, before her body was discovered with visible marks of violence in the pool at the hotel.