The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) remains “gravely” concerned over the unresolved circumstances surrounding the death of 11-year-old Adriana Younge and the rising public distrust that the death continues to provoke.

In a statement today, the Human Rights body said the dominant theme driving national unrest is not merely the tragic nature of the death itself, but the deepening disbelief in statements and actions issued by the Police and Government officials.

It said the Government’s stated strategy of limiting its response to “known facts” offers little reassurance.

“This pattern raises questions about political motives. With national elections on the horizon, Afro-Guyanese-led street unrest inevitably triggers a return to party loyalty among elements of the ruling party’s traditional support base. Linking such unrest to electoral concerns without hard evidence would be reckless. However, administrative ineptitude in not providing reliable information could encourage such thinking,” the Human Rights watchdog noted.

 The body recalled statements by international diplomatic missions—including those of the UK, US, and the EU that have urged calm and reaffirmed their commitment to democracy and peace in Guyana.

However, the association said such calls, while welcoming, fall short of addressing the core issue, namely public trust in national institutions, such as the Guyana Police Force, the publicly-owned media and public spokespersons.  

The GHRA has also urged the diplomatic partners to give equal priority to ensuring the technical recommendations of any international investigative support are made directly available to the Guyanese public.

“The current case must not repeat the failures of the 2020 initiative to resolve the West Coast Berbice murders of the Henry boys and young Haresh Singh. In that case, cooperation between the GPF, the GHRA, the families of the murdered boys and their lawyer saw the Director of the highly respected Buenos Aires-based Latin American Forensic Anthropology Team (EAAF) brought to Guyana. However, the non-cooperation of the Ministry of Home Affairs prevented the CID from meeting or benefitting from this visit by the same institution that years earlier had identified Che Guevara’s remains in Bolivia,” the association stated.

With respect to the Adriana case, the GHRA said since the public cannot be expected to accept conclusions delivered solely by an institution that has thus far relied on evasion, misinformation and selective enforcement– referring to the Guyana Police Force, there has to be an arrangement with the involvement of all sectors including Parliament, Civil Society, the diplomatic community, the media and the family of Adriana Younge.

The family has been calling for an international investigation that would involve the US Federal Bureau of Investigations. 

The US Ambassador on Monday said the Guyana Government has made no request for the FBI’s help.

The Government has secured

the services of a retired Homicide Investigator from Canada to assist local Police.  President Ali said the Government has been offering support and he has been keeping promises made to the family.  It appears unlikely that the Government will seek any additional foreign help to assist local police.

Adriana Younge, who was found dead in the pool of the Double Day Hotel, one day after she was reported missing, is still to be laid to rest.

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