Declaring that it feels compelled to share some of the findings of the preliminary forensic examination conducted on 11-year-old Adriana Younge, the Guyana Police Force late on Wednesday night sought to push back against what it described as a “barrage of misinformation being peddled in the social media intending to confuse and cause public mischief”.

According to the Police statement, the preliminary forensic examination report found that there was no evidence of sexual assault of the child, detailing that her external genitalia were examined and found “unremarkable with her hymen intact”.

Additionally, according to the Police, the examination found that her soft tissues as well as skeletal structure were free of traumatic injury and there was a residual cone of foam identified within her nostrils and oral cavity, which is often observed in cases of drowning.

The Police said that finding by the pathologists who conducted the examination, dispels any contention that there was cotton wool in the child’s nose.

According to the Guyana Police Force statement, the forensic examination also found the skin changes observed were from prolonged immersion with ‘washerwoman’ changes noted on bilateral hands and soles. It said “washerwoman” changes are also consistent in cases of drowning.

“Washerwoman” is used in forensic medicine to describe skin changes in drowning victims

The Police noted that the forensic examination of the child’s body also revealed that the skin was found to be intact and free from antemortem injuries, which means that that she did not receive any injuries to her body prior to her death.

The statement from the Police also indicated that the forensic examination report stated that the sphenoid sinus was found to have approximately 1ml of liquid. The sphenoid is the air space located in the brain consistent with drowning.

The forensic report also revealed that liquid was also found in the lungs of the deceased, which is consistent with drowning.

The Police said a comprehensive toxicological study of the blood and gastric contents from the child is
being conducted by the National Medical Services (NMS) Laboratories in the United States. Additionally, tissue specimens are undergoing histological analysis by Mount Sinai’s board-certified forensic and diagnostic pathologists in the United States, the Force stated.

According to the Police, the purpose of the post-mortem toxicology analysis is to detect, identify, and quantify drugs, alcohol, poisons, or other toxic substances present in the deceased’s body. The analysis helps determine whether any of those substances were present and, if so, whether they contributed to the death of the child.

The Police said it wishes to advise against the dissemination of “malicious and unfounded rumors, fanciful and uneducated opinions and reckless speculations on this very grave and important matter”.

On Wednesday, the Guyana Police Force also stated that water samples from the pool where the body of little Adriana Younge was found, have been sent overseas for analysis.

The Guyana Police Force also slammed the Attorney for the family of the dead child for attributing the “premature” release of the preliminary findings of the autopsy to the Police.

The Police said it was the relatives of the deceased, their lawyer and the doctor representing the family who divulged to the Press and published on the social media the preliminary finding of the cause of death of the forensic examination. That cause of death was listed as drowning.

The family of Adriana Younge along with their Attorneys, Dexter Todd, Eusi Anderson and Dexter Smartt, met with the Police Commissioner and two of his deputies on Wednesday at Police headquarters.

The family through their Attorneys, complained after the meeting that there was a lack of information on critical issues from the Police Commissioner. The Attorneys said many of their questions were left unanswered.

The Police responded to those concerns by stating that any information not provided during the meeting was withheld only to safeguard the integrity of the investigation and avoid compromising its outcomes.

The Police in its statement also indicated that the investigation is ongoing, with all leads and evidence being pursued.

The Police Force said oversight of the investigation is being maintained at the senior level to ensure thoroughness and impartiality.

The Guyana Police Force has faced a mountain of criticism over its initial posture when the family filed a missing child report on the afternoon of Wednesday 23rd April, 2025.

The family accused the Police of not taking the report seriously and refusing to carry out a detailed search of the hotel’s premises. The family was also initially blocked from entering the compound of the hotel to conduct their own search.

The child’s body was discovered the following day in the hotel’s pool. She was at the hotel with family members at the pool when she was discovered missing.

The Police initially issued a statement claiming that the girl was captured on surveillance video leaving the hotel in a vehicle. Several hours later, the Force admitted that the information was false. The girl’s body was found in the hotel’s pool. The family said several searches of the pool were earlier conducted and came up empty handed, leading to several questions about her death and the discovery of the body in the hotel’s pool.

That discovery led to fiery protests outside the hotel and the destruction of the hotel’s property. The entire building was gutted by fire. More fiery protests took place last Monday after the post-mortem examination concluded that the child died by drowning.

The forensic post-mortem examination was conducted by three foreign independent pathologists, including one who was chosen by the family of Adriana Younge.

The child is still to be laid to rest. Her funeral was set for this past Monday, but was postponed by the family.

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