The search for 11-year-old Adrianna Younge ended sadly this morning when her lifeless body was found in the pool of the Double Day Hotel at Tuschen on the East Bank of Essequibo.
The discovery triggered widespread protests and the storming of the hotel by angry residents. The building was then set on fire.
The family of the young girl reported her missing yesterday afternoon after she vanished while at the hotel with relatives. A Police report was filed as the family demanded searches be done of the hotel property. The Police initially asked the family and other persons to go home last night, but they kept watch and many never budged.
Late last night, in an initial statement, the Guyana Police Force claimed that the young girl was captured on CCTV camera going into a car, that the Force claimed the owner told them he had rented to a man named “Orlando”. However, that statement has since been disputed by the Police Force itself after the girl’s body was found in the hotel’s pool.
This morning, family members demanded that the hotel be searched and when those searches didn’t begin immediately, the protests started.
Human Services Minister Dr. Vindya Persaud visited the scene and demanded that the hotel be shut down completely and sniffer dogs be brought in to aid the search for little Adrianna.
““We will spare no effort to get to the bottom of this. The proprietor is at the Leonora Police Station,” she said.
About an hour later, the girl’s body suddenly appeared in the same pool where multiple searches overnight and this morning had unearthed nothing.
The discovery of the lifeless body of the 11-year-old, with what appeared to be bruises on her hands and feet, brought loud screams and streams of tears to many of those at the scene, including her mother and other family members.
Within minutes, as the girl’s body was removed from the property, the entire hotel was set ablaze and hundreds of residents came out in a loud protest demanding justice for the young girl.
The Human Services Minister broke down in tears as she was informed of the discovery of the girl’s body. She was left in disbelief.
The dead girl’s father, while holding back tears, said he wants justice for his child. He said he never left the area last night, even as the Police wanted them to go home, because he had a feeling that his daughter was still in the building. It was a feeling that turned out to be true.
“My belly keep telling me my daughter was in there, they were chasing us home, and I didn’t leave, I knew she was in there, and now look, my daughter is dead, I need justice”, the father said.
President Irfaan Ali announced that a special investigation will be conducted into the girl’s death. An independent pathologist is scheduled to arrive in the country this evening to conduct a detailed autopsy.
The protests have been ongoing in the Tuschen area, with the hotel and nearby properties belonging to the owners completely gutted by fire.
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