President Ali Forms Task Force After Three Children Killed in Guyana

According to the Guyana Times, President Dr Irfaan Ali has commissioned a broad-based Task Force to formulate comprehensive recommendations and actions aimed at addressing the welfare and safety of children in the country, following the recent deaths of three children in separate incidents in Guyana.

The Head of State held a consultative engagement on Friday with representatives from various bodies, including the Government, the Judiciary, the Speaker of the National Assembly, constitutional commissions, law enforcement agencies, and civil society organizations. During this meeting, critical issues regarding the mental health, welfare, and safety of Guyanese children were discussed. Stakeholders present agreed that immediate, drastic, and coordinated action from several segments of society is necessary to address the factors contributing to the current situation.

This required approach must involve parents, the Government, the school system, social and religious organizations, law enforcement, the Judiciary, and all other relevant societal stakeholders. Measures considered key to tackling this national issue included public awareness, education, parental support, school activities, psychosocial support, mentoring, promoting healthy and recreational activities, regulating exposure to music and social media, revising laws, reviewing law enforcement methods, and making adjustments to the administration of justice.

To address these issues and create a comprehensive strategy, President Ali instructed Attorney General (AG) Anil Nandlall, S.C., to coordinate an inter-agency task force. This task force will include representatives from the Government, the judiciary, law enforcement, religious organizations, civil society, and other pertinent stakeholders to design a comprehensive plan for review and implementation.

Regarding the child killings, the multiple stakeholder engagement followed three recent incidents. On Tuesday, October 20, the decomposed and headless body of six-year-old Orlando Jaikarran was found in the Waterloo Main Canal in West Coast Berbice, five days after he was reported missing from his home in Bath Settlement, WCB. The child's father, 45-year-old Bharrat Jaikarran, was subsequently arrested and later confessed to killing his son. He transported investigators to the location early Tuesday morning where he had disposed of the body, after allegedly being told by a local pujari that the child was not his biological son. The father, a cane harvester from Bath Settlement, was charged and arraigned at the Weldaad Magistrate’s Court on Friday. He was not required to plead to the indictable Murder charge and was remanded to prison. A second suspect, the pujari, is also in police custody and is expected to face charges for the child's death.

Separately, on October 19, a fire at a residence in David James Housing Scheme, Essequibo Coast, resulted in the deaths of three-year-old Keron Latchman and his mother, 29-year-old Donette Albert. The child's father, and the woman's reputed husband, was later apprehended. The suspect informed investigators that an argument occurred during which the woman allegedly threatened to burn the house down. He claimed he left to go downstairs when he heard a loud explosion and noticed the house was on fire. He stated he ran upstairs to rescue his wife and child but found the house already engulfed in flames, preventing entry. However, the dead woman’s sister asserted that she received a call from Albert that morning instructing her to go to the house immediately, and when the sister arrived about 15 minutes later, the building was on fire.

Meanwhile, on September 30, six-year-old Zi Feng Cao, who resided on Johnson Street in Parika, East Bank, Essequibo (EBE), was fatally chopped by a 76-year-old Chinese national. The incident stemmed from a dispute between the suspect and the child's parents over money. It was reported that the child sustained a chop to the neck and was pronounced dead at the De Kinderen Regional Hospital after being rushed there by his parents. The elderly Chinese man confessed upon his arrest and directed investigators to the location where he had discarded the 12” stainless steel blade murder weapon. The accused told police that the confrontation arose from a dispute over money allegedly owed to him by the child's parents. During the confrontation, the boy returned from school, and upon seeing him, the man produced a knife from his bag and struck the child once. The accused then departed and went to the police station.

These incidents have generated significant public outcry, accompanied by increasing demands for more severe penalties as a deterrent against crimes committed against children. President Ali, during an interview with the Newsroom on Tuesday, argued that certain offenses necessitate a stronger response from the justice system. Condemning the killing of six-year-old Orlando Jaikarran, the Guyanese Leader stated that a serious review of the death penalty is necessary as a potential response to heinous crimes against children.

President Ali remarked, “No, it’s atrocious. You know, as President, you have to deal with many things. But what took place there is not only heinous, you can’t be human.” The Head of State added that this incident, alongside other crimes of an extreme nature, has prompted him to consider if current penalties are adequate to deter such acts and convey the seriousness with which society views them. While acknowledging the human rights considerations related to capital punishment, the Guyanese Leader maintained that the nation must address how best to respond to crimes that shock the national conscience. He stated, “I believe that, you know, we really need to look at this,” and mentioned that he had tasked the AG with a careful examination of the matter. The President emphasized that the judicial process must proceed, but argued that after justice is served, the country should consider if more severe penalties are appropriate in the most extreme cases. When asked directly if he believed the death penalty was the stronger measure required, President Ali responded definitively, “One hundred per cent.”